Blog

Izna was born with a hearing impairment and her school in Nepal didn’t have the resources to support her, forcing her to drop out. With the help of the ENGAGE project, Inza is now back in education and thriving.

Already battered by the climate crisis and COVID-19, Africa is now facing rising food prices in light of the war in Ukraine.

Meet Hosea Tumwine – an extraordinary young person and enthusiastic champion of women and girls’ rights in Uganda. Hosea is a member of VSO’s global youth network.

Here volunteer Anisa Hay from the USA talks about her role on our ‘Let’s Learn Through Play’ programme in Rwanda. The programme is funded by the Lego Foundation and promotes play-based learning as the foundation of early childhood education.

Dr Bob Campbell has used his professional experience and skills to support VSO’s programmes in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, and South Sudan. Here reflects on his journey with VSO, it's most memorable moments, and the key things it has taught him.

Three years on, the people of Mozambique continue to face challenges as a result of Cyclone Idai. Read how VSO volunteers are are playing a critical role in building back better.

VSO is working to achieve gender equality in the context of climate change and disaster risk reduction. Find out more.

In Migori, southwest Kenya, catch-up classes are helping girls who’ve dropped out of school learn and laugh again. Find out more.

Learn how in spite of the challenges of travel during the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased difficulty of working in communities, VSO volunteers have continued to support the most vulnerable throughout this crisis.

Jessica Sucgang, an experienced teacher from the Philippines, volunteered with VSO’s Building Learning Foundations programme in Rwanda. Read about her experience mentoring teams of national volunteers as part of a programme aiming to improve basic education in Rwanda.

Until now, although good practices and methodologies have existed across the volunteering sector, there has been no globally agreed set of standards. Together with the International Forum for Volunteering in Development, VSO has launched the Global Standard for Volunteering.

Volunteering is too often badly misunderstood. Too often, it is seen as a “worthy” activity undertaken by people with time on their hands. However, it really is a fundamental part of any country’s development journey and when done properly, it can be a powerful tool.