Blog

Khamis Mohamed
VSO/Nicholaus Jackson Abwene

Disability is not inability: Khamis’s story

Khamis is thriving against the odds thanks to VSO projects in Tanzania. Watch his journey in this short film by young filmmaker – and VSO volunteer – Nicholaus Jackson Ambwene.

Women carry basins down a track in Rhino Camp, Uganda.
Ninno Jack Jr

Meet the volunteer fighting famine in Uganda

The coronavirus pandemic is hitting the world’s poorest hardest, plunging people into poverty. No truer is this than in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement in north-western Uganda, where VSO volunteer Daniel Adotu has been making sure the camp’s most vulnerable residents don’t go hungry.

Woman sitting by a wall in Nepal
©VSO/Omar Havana

Wolf at the door: Last chance to avoid COVID-induced famine

Mounting evidence shows food security has dwindled during the pandemic, especially for the most marginalised. Without urgent action, a year of famines looks increasingly likely in 2021.

Girls study after going back to school in Myanmar.
©VSO/Nyan Zay Htet

In photos: Children in Myanmar return to learning

After the coronavirus pandemic sparked a nationwide lockdown in Myanmar, we look at how VSO has been supporting students in Myanmar, whether they are in school or at home.

Two people sit inside at a table, wearing masks and using a sewing machine
VSO/Nicholaus Jackson

VSO survey reveals the struggle facing farmers and business owners

People supported by VSO showed marked resilience through the pandemic but have emerged with changed priorities. A survey covering nine countries reveals farmers and business owners urgently need support with innovation and training to help them rebuild their incomes. 

 

Girl in Nepal listening to radio lessons during COVID-19 lockdown
©VSO/P Mathema

Back to school: Closing the education gap for generation COVID

Schools around the world have begun to reopen, but the attainment gap for children will be wider than ever. VSO’s Lead Education Adviser Purna Shrestha outlines how to close it.

Volunteers wear masks while teaching COVID-19 safety awareness
Anup Goon

Volunteering in the Rohingya refugee camps during COVID-19

Bangladesh is one of the worst-hit countries in Asia for COVID-19, and its densly-populated Rohingya refugee camps have been highlighted as one of the highest-risk areas by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). Anup Goon shares what he is seeing on the ground and how volunteers like him are fighting to prevent a catastrophic outbreak in the camps. 

Mojo smiling with her classmates
©VSO/Peter Caton

Mojo is back in school

Mojo’s education ended abruptly when she was just eight years old. She had few prospects other than marriage at a very young age. But as Susan Martinez explains, one kind gesture has helped turn Mojo’s life around, with a ripple effect in the community.

Big Sister Joya Parvin is volunteering during COVID-19 in Nepal
©VSO/P Mathema

The power of volunteering vs COVID-19 in 10 photos

There's been a spontaneous outpouring of goodwill as communities all over the world have come together to fight COVID-19. Our photo gallery shows how volunteers are tackling the pandemic, thanks to the support of UK Aid.

Celia, 12, sits in front of some damaged school tables after Cyclone Idai
© VSO/Mario Mácilau

Girls at risk worldwide as lockdown continues

Girls are at increased risk of child marriage, violence and stigma while schools remain closed. From Kenya, to Mozambique, to Nepal, find out what VSO is doing to support.

Two fisherwomen, Samngath and Thorn, smiling
©VSO/Sue Turbett

The ripple effect of volunteering

One good deed can make waves long into the future. Find out how one Cambodian community is continuing to benefit from a project that concluded in 2018.

Close up of the hands of a VSO ICS team in Battambang, Cambodia
VSO

Social inclusion, gender, and Black Lives Matter

Reflecting on our global work to address issues of diversity, inclusion, equality and anti-discrimination.