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 with in Ghana. She's working to get vulnerable children such as girls and children with disabilities access to education. 

Supporting rice farmers in Cambodia

Volunteers 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. The placement made use of his valuable experience from a career as a consultant obstetrician to improve the healthcare services in three hospitals in obstetrics and gynaecology. It was challenging but rewarding and John, now 71, accepted a second VSO position in the country the following year.

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

Rebecca Clark, a Deputy Head Teacher from inner-city London, has swapped the concrete jungle for greener pastures. Now she trains Head Teachers in the leafy district of Rusizi, Rwanda, on a two year VSO placement.

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