VSO runs a vast range of projects spanning our three global programmes; healthy communities, inclusive education and resilient livelihoods. Here are examples of our current and past work.
Examples of our projects in
Adolescent health and wellbeing
Improving health services for all and empowering the most marginalised to exercise their right to quality care.

Speak it Loud
Amplifying the voices of women's movements to address violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe.
Ensuring Deaf young people aren't excluded from sexual and reproductive health services
Improving sexual and reproductive health and rights for marginalised and at-risk Deaf young people.

Breaking with tradition: Male engagement
Making life safer for women and girls by challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours.

Interactive theatre for justice
Using drama to empower marginalised groups.

Tackling sexual health taboos
Improving young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights in rural Zambian communities.

Reducing newborn deaths
Providing the skills and equipment to reduce maternal and infant mortality in Ethiopia.

Improving the health and wellbeing of prison populations in Southern Africa
Improving prison health through an innovative combination of volunteer peer support, skills training, and advocating for change.

Combatting gender-based violence through democratic policing
Working with the police force, NGOs and civil society organisations to combat gender-based violence, and challenge longstanding attitudes towards harmful cultural practices in Pakistan.

Doctors for Development
Reaching isolated communities in Sierra Leone with pioneering maternal health technology.

Inclusive education
Making sure everyone gets the skills they need to live a fulfilled, dignified life.

Empowering education: transforming teaching and supporting students in Cambodia
The Professional Development in Upper Secondary Schools (PDUSS) project, aims to enhance the inclusiveness, effectiveness, and relevance of upper secondary education in Cambodia focusing on four areas: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths), Library Management, Career Guidance and Counselling, and School-Based Management.

Building Educational Foundations through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT)
Through the BEFIT project, we’re aiming to improve the foundational literacy and numeracy skills for 3.5 million children across 5,770 public primary schools in Malawi.
Let’s Learn Through Play (Twigire Mumikino Rwanda)
Play is the most important way for children to gain essential knowledge and skills. Twigire Mumikino Rwanda, or ‘Let’s Learn Through Play', is a four-year project funded by the Lego Foundation creating change at all levels of the education system.

VSOSCHOOL app: Using technology to empower educators
The VSOSCHOOL app is an invaluable resource that supports children and educator’s learning – both inside and outside the classroom.

Empowering a new generation of adolescent girls with education (ENGAGE)
Our ENGAGE project in Nepal is addressing socio-cultural norms which don’t prioritise girls’ education, raising awareness of the support available for girls with disabilities, and building the skills and capacity of educators through training and mentoring.

Numeracy for all
Developing low-cost, high-quality maths teaching aids.

Building Learning Foundations
Developing long-term, sustainable solutions to improve basic teaching for every child in Rwanda.

Sisters for Sisters' Education
Supporting vulnerable girls to succeed in school – and beyond.
Capacity Development Partnership
Supporting equal access to quality education in Cambodia through government capacity development.

Supporting Rohingya child refugees
Providing Rohingya child refugees with vital care, home-based education, and safe places to learn and play.

Using technology to deliver high quality education
Addressing global education challenges with award-winning technology.

Emergency education post-earthquake
Providing essential learning and psychosocial support after the Nepal earthquake.

Education in emergencies
Building resilient education systems in fragile spaces.
Resilient livelihoods
Ensuring people have the skills and opportunities needed to support themselves and their families.

Futuremakers
Futuremakers is equipping youth with the market-relevant skills and knowledge to set up their own businesses and to identify employment opportunities, working across 3 countries, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Rural Employment for COVID-19 Economic Recovery (RECOVER)
RECOVER intends to support vulnerable rural communities within provinces in Cambodia in their economic recovery after the pandemic, specifically to prevent them from experiencing extreme poverty, high levels of debt and food insecurity.
Generating Resilient Environments and Promoting Socio-Economic Development of the East Tonle Sap Lake (GREEN)
Livelihoods of those living on the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia are being threatened by overfishing and climate change. The GREEN project is helping vulnerable communities to transition to sustainable agriculture while boosting their incomes.
Collective Action for Rights Realisation in Extractives Industry (CLARITY)
The CLARITY project is addressing the challenges that exclude women, youth, and people with disabilities from equally benefiting from the extractive sector in Tanzania's Lake Zone districts.
Encouraging grassroots growth in Tanzania
The GAC-funded Tanzania Local Enterprise Development (T-LED) project is supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to thrive, and increasing employment opportunities within them.

Empowering women and powering communities
The Solar Mama rural electrification project is simultaneously bringing electricity to rural communities, and empowering women in those communities through education and training.

Empowering Tanzanian girls and young mothers
Supporting marginalised young people in Tanzania - especially girls and young mothers - to develop the skills and confidence they need to secure reliable livelihoods.

Increasing profits for cocoa farmers
Cocoa Life is supporting cocoa-farming communities in Ghana to benefit from increased yields and bigger profits, thanks to our partnership with Mondelēz International.

Supporting poor farming households to make a sustainable living
Improving Market Access for the Poor (IMA4P) identifies high-impact value chains, transforming agricultural markets to make them work better for the world's poorest farmers.

Overcoming rural poverty through farming innovations
The Growing Together programme harnesses our collective expertise in agricultural techniques and value chains to grow smallholder farmer household incomes.

Training Uganda's young population
Equipping Uganda's large youth population with the skills they need to work in the country's growing oil and gas sectors.
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Inclusive education
Making sure everyone gets the skills they need to live a fulfilled, dignified life.
Over the past five years we have supported almost 3,500,000 children to access the quality education they deserve.

Adolescent and youth health and wellbeing
Improving health services and empowering people to exercise their right to quality care.
Over the past five years we have helped over 3,600,000 people access better healthcare.

Resilient livelihoods
Ensuring people have the skills and opportunities needed to support themselves and their families.
770,000 people have benefited from our work supporting livelihoods over the past five years.