Video: The Humble Mangrove Tree

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Did you know that mangroves, a mangled tropical wetland tree, are underrated climate change superheroes?

These remarkable trees protect coasts, ecosystems, homes and livelihoods, yet they are currently under threat. Check out our video which tells the impressive story of how VSO volunteers in the Philippines are harnessing the hidden power of mangroves, nature and community to create real sustainable change for families.

Watch the video

Our work in the Philippines

We’ve been working in the Philippines since 1964. Although the Philippines has made significant strides in reducing poverty, inequality and deprivation persists. With an average of 20 typhoons a year, rising sea levels and ocean acidification, the Philippines is often cited as one of the countries most at risk from the climate crisis. Learn more about how our volunteers are helping communities develop the techniques needed to build sustainable and resilient livelihoods in the face of adversity.

Learn more about VSO in the Philippines

Support us with a donation

Making briquettes for fuel from recycled materials.

Hosea Tumwine

£10 a month could help volunteers share life-saving information with local communities to help raise awareness of the climate crisis.

Sophea Chheun

£15 a month could help women set up a small business and have access to their own income with the help of a VSO volunteer.

Paul Wambugu/ Obscuramedia

£25 a month could help train remote communities in how to make the little water they have go further through soil conservation and pest management.

£10

£15

£25

£25 could help train young farmers in how to grow organic, climate-resilient crops to sell at markets so they can support their families.

£50 could enable a single mother to start up a small business, or market stall, so she can provide for her children today and in the future.

£100 could provide a community with a solar-powered irrigation pump, using green energy to enable farming to continue in drought-prone areas.

£25

£50

£100

The year 2024 in photos and the stories behind them

Here we share some of VSO’s iconic imagery over the past year that capture the resilience and determination of the communities and volunteers we support. It’s also an opportunity to pay tribute to some of the people behind the lens who have helped bring their stories to light.

'Here's to every volunteer' - an inspiring song from volunteer and artist Larry Dwayne

Known in the music industry as Larry Dwayne, Lawrence Ochieng is a Kenyan volunteer, hip-hop artist, and activist who uses his platform to raise awareness about climate change. Listen to his original song, 'Volunteer'.

Dev accepting his Active Citizenship Award

Meet the 2024 Volunteer Impact Award winners

Our annual Volunteer Impact Awards celebrates the incredible impact made by VSO volunteers across the world. Learn more about our four 2024 winners.