Volunteer friendships around the world

Friends forever: Crossing the religious divide

In Mindanao, Philippines, decades of conflict between Christian and Muslim communities once created fear, mistrust, and division. Eleanor, a Christian and Noridjah, a Muslim, remember a time when the two religious groups rarely spoke and would avoid each other.  

Everything changed when they met through VSO locally led peacebuilding workshops. The workshops encouraged people from different faiths to listen to one another and build an understanding. 

Through these shared experiences, Noridjah and Eleanor formed a close friendship that has lasted more than 20 years. Today, they enjoy chatting over a pot of tea and volunteering together on VSO’s marine conservation work.  

“It’s a really easy, warm, and genuine friendship,” says Noridjah. “There is nothing that we disagree on!” “The friendship we have is a great example to others that Muslims and Christians can be friends and live peacefully together,” exclaims Eleanor. 

A lifelong friendship born in Nigeria  

Andrew from the UK, has dedicated his life to volunteering, using his skills and compassion to support communities from Nigeria to Cambodia and beyond.   

In 1997, Andrew was volunteering on a water and sanitation project in Nigeria where he met Tunde, a water engineer volunteer who grew up in the UK but has Nigerian parents.  

Andrew remembers the strong sense of camaraderie that developed between the volunteers as they worked to improve water and sanitation facilities.  

“My first impression of Andrew was a larger-than-life character who lives with no regrets,” says Tunde.  

Although their VSO placements in Nigeria ended in 1999, they stayed close over the years, with Tunde, who now lives in Nigeria, travelling from Nigeria last year to the UK to celebrate Andrew’s 80th birthday. 

“Our friendship is full of adventure, fun and deep talks. One of my favourite shared memories was going to a festival in Nigeria. It was a very cultural experience, full of adventure” Tunde recalls.  

Meanwhile Andrew says, "Tunde's common sense, caring nature and her ability to have fun have enriched my life."

A sweet camaraderie

It was a shared passion for volunteering that brought Emeka, a Nigerian Swedish entrepreneur and Dotto, a youth specialist from Tanzania together. In 2023, they joined forces to volunteer on a beekeeping project in Tanzania.   

Dotto was working with young people, helping them identify economic opportunities in their communities. They were keen to explore beekeeping as its profitable and eco-friendly. Knowing Emeka’s entrepreneurial experience, Dotto invited Emeka to train young people on modern honey production techniques.  

While volunteering side by side, Emeka and Dotto learnt so much from each other and a friendship blossomed.  “Even when Dotto was on holiday, I knew I could still call him and get any information from him. He was always really attentive but also very understanding,” Emeka explains.

Meanwhile, Dotto praised Emeka for his excellent relationship-building skills and his eagerness to learn new things.

In their free time, they often attended social gatherings together, bonding over drinks.

“Volunteering is one of the best ways to make new friends,” says Emeka.  

From Mongolia to the West End

In 2011, Andy, from the UK, drew on his 32 years of nurse training experience to help improve nursing curriculums in Mongolia with VSO. Keen to meet local people, Andy attended a dancing class where first met Bayra Bela. At the time, Bela was involved in community projects with various charities, and the two quickly bonded over their shared passion for volunteering. It wasn’t long before they were volunteering on community initiatives together.    

“We struck a bond immediately. I knew straight away that Bela was an exceptional human with a lot of "star" quality,” says Andy.   

In fact, the star quality Andy noticed would later shine on the West End stage, with Bela going on to become an actress and touring the world as part of a musical.  Andy proudly watched her perform in London in 2023 alongside fellow VSO volunteers.  

“To make lifelong friends with people from different cultures is a truly special gift that enriches you for the rest of your life. These friendships are so important because you learn that we’re all human with the same human needs,” Andy explains.  

Having seen first-hand the power of volunteering and connection, Andy has also pledged a gift in his Will to VSO, helping spark friendships and positive change for future generations.