Filipino United Nations Volunteer Association (FUNVA) was established in 1995. It is composed of experienced Filipino UNV Volunteers who have previously served in positions, such as medical doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, engineers, accountants, social workers, project administrators, logisticians and election officers. FUNVA members support programmes and projects run by UN agencies across Africa, Asia and Europe: UNDP, ILO, UNFPA, UNHCR, FAO, UNEP, UNESCO, WFP, UNIFEM, UNFPA, UNICEF and UNOPS. The diversity in membership has allowed FUNVA to support the efforts of UN agencies on a range of issues. Many of the FUNVA members have assisted UN-administered elections in countries including Cambodia, East Timor, Liberia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Afghanistan and Haiti.
FUNVA's objectives are to:
- Create a venue for members to collaborate with government agencies and community or private organizations for philanthropic objectives;
- Undertake activities to rehabilitate disaster areas and improve lives in disadvantaged communities; and
- Serve as a social and information sharing forum for Volunteers returning to the Philippines.
FUNVA is managed by a 5-member Board of Directors and a team of Executive Officers: a President, Secretary, Treasurer and Auditor.
Also, FUNVA actively participates in a variety of activities including exhibits, roundtable discussions, training, seminars, environmental awareness initiatives during Volunteer Month and celebrating International Volunteer Day and the International Year of the Volunteers.
To date, FUNVA has assisted over 1,000 families nationally. One of the most effective projects it has worked on is helping those affected by the eruptions of the Mayon and Bulusan volcanoes and the landslides in Leyte, Bicol and Quezon. With support from the Asia Foundation and the local church community, FUNVA established a community library, conducted health training seminars and helped build a deep well in a government relocation site for squatters in Antipolo City.
Support and participation from new and former volunteers will continue to allow FUNVA to grow and to expand the scope of volunteer support across the Philippines.
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