Volunteers hand out gloves for a tree planting service project in Tanzania.

This month, we celebrated International Volunteer Day. We acknowledge not just service, but the sometimes quiet, yet courageous, choice of a single person to act and serve. We celebrate every single volunteer at the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) for their heart to lead and bring about change, no matter how small. Each volunteer at GPF is a living testament to the power of one. One youth, one idea, and one act of service. One spark that can resonate around the world.

Since 2010, GPF has hosted multiple volunteer camps where young people learn to lead using the global peace values framework, focusing on Living for the Greater Good, Dream Big, Ownership, and Teamwork. The Global Peace Volunteers (GPV) of GPF is more than just a program. It’s a global community committed to building peace across divides of race, religion, and geography

Today, we highlight GPF volunteers and projects worldwide, bringing about change, one initiative at a time. 

Students during a Project Saksham event discuss importance of values.

In Kathmandu, Nepal, Project Saksham is taking root as a foundation for youth development and values-based volunteering. Spearheaded by youth volunteers, the project invites young volunteers to run values-based trainings and programs in schools, reaching 12 schools and engaging 268 students. These sessions are more than just theories; they are facilitated conversations where students are invited to reflect deeply on their purpose and choices. GPF Nepal volunteers don’t just teach; they listen, guide, and model the values they hope to inspire. 

“No one ever told me I could be a leader until today”, said one of the students after a session. 

This one moment reflects the positivity and inspiration that our volunteers spread. 

Likewise, in a very different corner of the world, GPF Malaysia is showing how volunteering can uplift not just people, but entire ways of living. In early 2025, a team of 24 volunteers from Kuala Lumpur collaborated with Ninja Van to construct a chicken coop in Kampung Gemuruh, Pahang. Despite the mud and rain, the volunteers worked shoulder to shoulder with farmers like 71-year-old Halludin, who said his heart “swelled up” seeing so many people caring enough to help that would eventually sustain his heart. 

For farmers like Halludin, the coop represents more than just an income; it represents stability, dignity, and a path to long-term financial security. Amai, another beneficiary, now wakes up with renewed purpose, and as she gets busy, she dreams of a future that no longer depends on scavenging. That transformation started with the volunteers, individuals who believed in shared humanity and committed to something bigger than themselves.

In Africa, volunteers have become bridges for peace, quietly mending communal relationships strained by division, unrest, and controversies. The environmental restoration project, in partnership with Butere Girls High School, the GPF Kenya volunteers planted trees with a message of renewal and peace. The project aims to restore damaged land and foster a culture of peace, responsibility, and intergenerational justice. Deeply symbolic, the initiative is a living reminder that growth and healing are always possible. 

Brain, a volunteer in the project, expressed, “When we plant trees together, we become one team. The land unites us.” 

Furthermore, the students involved will be responsible for maintaining the site, ensuring its sustainability, and ownership of the project and the land. Environmental efforts, in this sense, do more than restore soil; they restore trust, dignity, and connection. 

Across continents, GPF youths have participated in various projects aimed at positive change. What connects these young volunteers from Nepal to Malaysia to Kenya is the intention. The intention, that positive change starts from the ground up. 

At GPF, we are proud to have provided a platform for these volunteers, offering them an ecosystem that includes training, mentorship, community partnerships, and cross-cultural collaboration. This ecosystem of volunteerism has contributed positively to the development of service-minded leaders, transformation, and sustainable peacebuilding. 

As the year comes to an end, we reaffirm our commitment to youth volunteerism and continue our work. With this, we invite you to join us in supporting our volunteers and their incredible work. When you support GPF, you fund more than just a project – you fund transformation.

Volunteer impact is powerful, but it requires support. Your Year-End Gift helps us support these volunteers and fund projects that bring transformation. With your help, you are not just supporting a project; you are empowering a global network of peacebuilders who believe in “One Family Under God.”