Welcome to Voluntary Service Overseas

Sharing skills saves lives, in a country still living with the impact of Ebola

Dr Padma is a GP from London, who is volunteering at Makeni Regional Referral Hospital in Sierra Leone. In a country still reeling from Ebola, she tells us it's often skills, not supplies, that save lives.

Finding Ghana’s hidden children

Mary Loureth Carnable is a disability specialist volunteering in Ghana. She's working to get vulnerable children such as girls and children with disabilities access to education. 

Supporting rice farmers in Cambodia

Volunteer Giovanni is working to support farmers turn their enterprises into robust businesses. Here he talks about the experience as a whole, and the impact he sees.

Volunteers set up a street library to get kids reading

While volunteering in Lindi, Tanzania, Steve and Sue noticed that the children they worked with had no access to books. Together with the whole neighbourhood they came up with a new idea to get local children reading.

Volunteering after retirement: John gives something back in Cambodia

John's lifelong ambition to volunteer abroad was realised at 60, when he was offered a three-month stint in Cambodia with VSO. 

9 lessons in living life to the full: From 81-years-young volunteer Mira

“You can only do your bit. But that’s enough” says serial volunteer Mira. She has been supporting VSO for 18 years, having set off on her first placement at the age of 63. 

A day in the life of Rebecca Clark, education leadership adviser, Rwanda

Rebecca Clark, a deputy head teacher from inner-city London, swapped the concrete jungle for greener pastures in the leafy district of Rusizi, Rwanda. She spent two years volunteering on a project supporting the development of education leadership across thirty schools.