Children playing. Nyamasheke, Rwanda.
VSO/Mussa

Our projects

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.

More about our work in health and wellbeing

Sign reads: We need you to safeguard our rights
Columbus Mavhunga

Speak it Loud

Amplifying the voices of women's movements to address violence against women and girls in Zimbabwe.

Brown, a VSO deaf volunteer discussing with Joy, a sign language interpreter
Lotus Bleu Ltd

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.

A married couple high five over a board game they are playing outside

Breaking with tradition: Male engagement

Making life safer for women and girls by challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours.

Community mobiliser Dharmendra Chaurasiya interacts with performers during a theatre performance, watched by a crowd of women
VSO/Omar Havana

Interactive theatre for justice

Using drama to empower marginalised groups.

Peer educator Alfred Kunda stands in front of a group of seated young men, delivering an outdoor peer education session

Tackling sexual health taboos

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

A doctor with a newborn baby in Ethiopia

Reducing newborn deaths

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

A male prisoner sits on a tree stump and reads a book in the yard of Mutimurefu Prison, whilst other prisoners chop wood in the background
VSO/Cynthia Matonhodze

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.

A female police officer stands next to her squad car
VSO

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.

A pregnant woman lies on a bed and smiles as she looks at the screen of her ultrasound scan

Doctors for Development

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

Mojo smiling with her classmates
©VSO/Peter Caton

Inclusive education

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

 

More about our work in inclusive education
Primary school teacher Souy Kran smiles as she stands at the front of her classroom; behind her, rows of schoolchildren work at their desks.

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.

Two young schoolchildren sit on the floor at Mdzobwe Primary School and use their tablets to learn
VSO/Jeff DeKock

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.

Young children play with the volunteers

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.

Andrew Ashe with children using tablets to support education in Malawi

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.

An older woman and a teenage girl sit outside on the ground in Nepal, studying
VSO/Suraj Shakya

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.

A piece of cardboard with diagrammes and numbers to help pupils learn simple addition

Numeracy for all

Developing low-cost, high-quality maths teaching aids.

A group of young children carry teaching materials as they walk outside, led by their teacher
Alice Kayibanda

Building Learning Foundations

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

Girl in a classroom in Nepal | VSO
©VSO/Willemijn van Kol

Sisters for Sisters' Education

Supporting vulnerable girls to succeed in school – and beyond.

Two young schoolchildren stand at their desk and study together from a textbook
VSO/Or Kimsour

Capacity Development Partnership

Supporting equal access to quality education in Cambodia through government capacity development.

Rohingya children play with the toys donated by VSO
VSO/Abir Abdullah

Supporting Rohingya child refugees

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

A student on the Unlocking Talent programme smiles as she works on her tablet in Mdzobwe Primary School
Jeff DeKock

Using technology to deliver high quality education

Addressing global education challenges with award-winning technology.

A group of young children sit outside on the round, listening to a local teacher talk about school and earthquake preparedness

Emergency education post-earthquake

Providing essential learning and psychosocial support after the Nepal earthquake.

Two young Rohingya boys sit on the floor of a child-friendly centre in the Cox's Bazar camp, drawing with colouring pencils

Education in emergencies

Building resilient education systems in fragile spaces.

Abdul on the farm holding a cabbage
VSO

Resilient livelihoods

Ensuring people have the skills and opportunities needed to support themselves and their families.

 

More about our work in resilient livelihoods
Young women making bead jewellery

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.

Vocational cooking class
VSO/Sophea Chheun

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.

Spinach planted on a floating garden on the East Tonle Sap Lake
VSO/Sophea Chheun

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.

Capacity Building youth in renewable energy practices
VSO/Nicholaus Jackson

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.

A young male tailor works at a sewing machine
VSO/Jack Howson

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.

Dines Msampha, 42, Solar Mama
VSO/Peter Caton

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.

VSO national volunteer Jackline Kakala smiles as she conducts an aspirations analysis with young women participating in the Lake Zone Youth Empowerment project

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.

Cocoa farmer Abiba leans on a cocoa tree with ripening pods

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.

Volunter Al Razon talks with co-operative leader Ly Theort on the edge of a field at her farm
VSO

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.

Murzina Khatun, a mother of three and farmer, crouches amidst her crops
VSO/Qamruzzaman

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.

A group of students in blue overalls and safety gear crouch down around a metal box as they are taught by a lead instructor

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.

Find out more

Purnima at a catch up class
Suraj Shakya

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.

Girls at the She Club, a safe space for girls to learn about SRHR
Chosa Mweemba

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.

Young female farmers in Kenya
Paul Wambugu/ Obscuramedia

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.