Blog

Justin Spray volunteered in Tanzania telling the stories of some of the people whose lives VSO has touched with its work there. He explains how the power of film can be harnessed to create change.

Whycliffe was supported by VSO to attain an internationally-recognised vocational qualification, which has transformed his fortunes. He now employs three other young people and dreams of volunteering to help other youth in his home near Hoima, Uganda.

VSO volunteers, supporters and friends came together to celebrate the impact of volunteering for development at the Volunteer Impact Awards. 

How 62-year-old Keith Davies achieved a long-held goal by trekking Africa’s highest mountain for VSO, overcoming huge challenges and personal tragedy on the way.

VSO is changing the future of education in Rwanda through helping prepare children for school, training teachers and classroom refurbishment.

Two retired UK teachers decided to embark on a completely new challenge: Wendy is improving teaching standards in Rwanda, while Helen is making education more inclusive in Nepal.

Returned volunteers from the UK share some of the unexpected things they learned from their VSO experience, from the practical, to the bizarre, to the profound.

Paul started his business by volunteering to clean his local hospital and streets for free. Since taking part in a VSO project, he now runs a successful garbage collection, cleaning and composting business.

As the world’s leading organisation that uses volunteering to tackle poverty, VSO is especially interested in understanding how we can best ensure that people of all sorts of backgrounds can access meaningful volunteering opportunities, writes Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive of VSO.

Low pay. Lack of respect. Being asked to achieve the impossible with not enough time, resources or training to do your best. Teachers around the world reveal the challenges they face – and why they keep at it despite everything.

Open the door of classrooms around the world and you’ll find a surprising range of challenges – as well as some truly incredible teachers dedicated to changing children’s lives.

In Freetown, Sierra Leone, tens of thousands of people live with a sea of plastic waste on their doorstep. They're suffering disease, death and indignity. One volunteer is determined to make a stand on behalf of his community.