Waste picker outside her house

Help ensure women’s lives in Kenya aren’t thrown away

Creating lasting change by unlocking the power of people

At VSO we harness the skills and expertise of volunteers to deliver long lasting change. We put people first and empower them to be in the driving seat of their own development. Our volunteers work in collaboration with marginalised communities in every aspect of project design, delivery and evaluation, enabling the world's poorest communities to take charge of their own change. 

Areas of work

Purnima at a catch up class
Suraj Shakya

Inclusive education

Making sure everyone gets the skills they need to live a fulfilled, dignified life.

We helped over 3.2 million people to access the quality education they deserve in 2022-23.

Young female farmers in Kenya
VSO/Paul Wambugu

Resilient livelihoods

Ensuring people have the skills and opportunities needed to support themselves and their families.

200,000 people benefited from our work supporting livelihoods in 2022-23.

Girls at the She Club, a safe space for girls to learn about SRHR
Chosa Mweemba

Adolescent and youth health and wellbeing

Improving health services and empowering people to exercise their right to quality care.

We helped almost 90,000 people access better healthcare in 2022-23.

Text: Happy International Volunteer Day

Volunteering is a powerful force for change!

Join us this International Volunteer Day in celebrating the incredible achievements and contributions of volunteers across the world!

Find out more

Visit your local VSO website

Latest news

Hear stories from volunteers and communities and stay up-to-date with the latest VSO news.

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Melba Pyne and Claude Ndayizeye on a call

Video blog: In conversation with two education volunteers in Rwanda

Melba from Colombia and Claude from Rwanda are two very different education specialists with one thing in common, they both volunteered with VSO in Rwanda. We brought these two volunteers together to share their reflections on what it was like to volunteer with VSO. Watch the videos now.

VSO volunteer Lawrence distributing PPE to waste picker Vanessa.
VSO/Paul Wambugu

The volunteer ensuring the unsung heroes of waste aren't left behind

Driven by his passion to clean up the environment, Kenyan volunteer Lawrence is currently volunteering on a VSO recycling project in Nairobi, where he’s helping to empower waste pickers. Read about his work.

Lucy delivers presentation to children

Our volunteers give their top tips for aspiring volunteers

From local volunteering to global development projects, everyone has the power to make a difference. Hear from VSO volunteers across the globe as they give their top tips on how to make your volunteering experience impactful and enjoyable.

Our impact

In 2022-23, VSO reached 10.9 million people, nearly 7.4 million indirectly and over 3.5 million directly.

Find out more in our annual impact report

3.2m

Over 3.2 million were reached through our education projects.

200,000

Almost 200,000 people were reached through our resilient livelihoods programme.

90,000

Almost 90,000 people were reached through our health projects.

87,000

Over 87,000 through our wider work on resilience, inclusion and social accountability.

Volunteering with VSO

Make an impact by sharing your skills and experience with some of the most marginalised people in the world. Become a VSO volunteer.

Browse all current opportunities

More ways you can support VSO

Got a call from us recently?

Find out more about our telephone fundraising