Notes from VSO / Labour Party International Development Group, 20 June 2008

Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO - www.vso.org.uk) is an international development charity that works through experienced volunteers living and working as equals alongside local partners. It is the largest independent (non-governmental) volunteer-sending organization in the world.   

VSO currently develops programmes in six "goal areas"

l        HIV & AIDS - combating stigma, supporting prevention, and increasing the availability of treatment, care and support for those infected and affected by HIV & AIDS.

l        Education -  strengthening education systems and improving teaching quality.

l        Health and Social Well-being - strengthening the capabilities of health and social work professionals, supporting community-based services, including primary health care, and outreach work in health promotion and treatment.

l        Disability  - supporting disabled people’s organisations to raise awareness of issues that affect disabled people and working to improve the accessibility and quality of mainstream and special services provided by both the government and by non governmental organisations.

l        Participation and Governance - support the development of the governance systems, structures, policies, and practice that empower disadvantaged people to participate in the decisions that affect their lives

l        Secure livelihoods - strengthen the ability of disadvantaged people to make a viable living. A secure livelihood depends on a combination of factors such as personal skills and knowledge, ­physical assets and social networks as well as on functioning government institutions, policies and laws.

Since its founding in 1958, VSO has placed over 30,000 volunteers (2004) in developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.  Currently it has almost 1,500 skilled professionals working in 34 countries in response to requests from governments and community organisations throughout Asia and Africa. The range of jobs is wide, and includes small business advisors, teachers, social workers, health professionals, management consultants, marine biologists, accountants and farmers.

VSO's approach to volunteering has changed a lot over the years. Its volunteers are no longer school-leavers - today the average age of a volunteer is 38, the majority coming from skilled, professional backgrounds. Most placements are for two years, but can also be as short as 2 weeks. Several large companies, including Accenture, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SAP and others, second some of their staff through VSO to work directly on international development projects.

The volunteers aim to pass on their expertise to local people so that when they return home their skills remain. Volunteers can be aged between 18 and 75 years old and must have a formal qualification and some work experience. Regular postings are for two years and volunteers are provided with accommodation and a local level allowance as well as air fares and insurance.

VSO has offices in the UK, Ireland, Canada, the Netherlands, Kenya and the Philippines and a recruiting partner in India; as at December 2004, it has volunteers of 14 different nationalities on placement.

VSO's structure is evolving into an international federation of these recruitment bases. International volunteers are recruited through all of these bases and they can be placed in any one of VSO's programmes (e.g. a Canadian volunteer working in Nepal, or a Ugandan volunteer working in Mongolia).

In addition, VSO...

l        supports a number of national volunteering programmes (including schemes in India, Ghana, Kenya and others);

l        acts as a 'knowledge broker', bringing local grassroots organisations together to share learning and best practice, for example through the Regional AIDS Initiative of Southern Africa, with partners in 7 southern African countries;

l        offers several youth volunteering programmes, their own Youth For Development scheme, Global Xchange in partnership with the British Council, and VSO Canada's NetCorps and International Youth Internship Programs

l        offers short-term consultancy-style volunteer placements, to complement their traditional long-term (two year) placements, following the merger with British Executive Service Overseas in March 2005, a smaller charity with similar aims, but which dealt with short-term volunteering.

The Global Xchange is coming to Bristol

This is a great opportunity for all kinds of people and organisations to be involved in a unique and valuable learning experience through VSO. You could be one of them. Here’s a brief introduction to what we do, and hopefully we can speak about how you could be part of it very soon. 

What is Global Xchange?

“Global Xchange supports the development of active global citizens, committed to working for positive change in communities.” Our programme gives nine young people (18-25) from the UK and nine from the Philippines a unique opportunity to work and live together with a community for six months – three in Bristol and three in Iligan, in the southern region of Mindanao. Together they develop and share valuable skills and experiences by working in local charities, NGOs, and community organisations, and living in local family homes. By immersing themselves in each other’s culture, they not only make a real contribution to the local area and bring together countless people and ideas that wouldn’t otherwise mix, but also aim to leave behind initiatives that will go on long after the exchange has finished. 

When is all this happening?

The team will go first to the Philippines at the start of September this year. They will return to live and work in Bristol at the start of December and stay here until February 2009. So between now and the end of August, we’ll be arranging all the details. 

How can you get involved?

Community organisations and local families (“host homes”) are the two main elements of every exchange. A ‘counterpart pair’ of volunteers, one from each country, will undertake three months of project work with a local organisation. They will also live with local families in their homes. Two Programme Supervisors oversee the exchange and are available to support you throughout.  

As a host home, you would have:

>> a fascinating international experience from your own home

>> a unique educational opportunity for you and your family

>> help with cooking, cleaning, and housekeeping

>> a weekly payment to help cover the costs of hosting. 

As a community organisation, you would benefit from:

>> a pair of enthusiastic volunteers working full or part-time for 10 weeks

>> a fresh perspective on how your organisation works

>> a unique insight into Filipino culture

>> the chance to kick-start new ideas and initiatives in your work.  

During the exchange, the team will also get involved in as many community events and activities as possible. So we are also very keen to hear from local organisations, community centres, and individuals who might be able to work together with us in other ways. For example, your community centre might be able to offer a meeting room or internet access? You might know other people or organisations arranging community events that our volunteers could take part in, speak or exhibit at, or help setup? However you can or want to get involved, just let us know! 

What do I do next?

If you know someone else who might be interested in the Global Xchange programme in Bristol, please forward this email to them.

If you’re interested in participating in the Bristol-Philippines exchange yourself, please get in touch, and we can discuss the opportunities in more detail. My contact details are below. 

More information on Global Xchange?

This is the main Global Xchange website:

www.vso.org.uk/globalxchange / Further information about host homes: www.vso.org.uk/globalxchange/hosthome.htm; Real stories from previous participants: www.vso.org.uk/globalxchange/volunteer/stories.htm; How it all fits together:www.vso.org.uk/globalxchange/about/components.htm

Programme Supervisor, Global Xchange

2008-9: Bristol (UK) Iligan (Philippines)Tel. 07968 691664, Email: david.whittaker@vso.org.uk, www.globalxchange.org.uk

More information on VSO in general:?

Alistair Clark, Bristol VSO group, Email: VSOBristol@gmail.com / : VSO, 317 Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 2PN.  Tel 020 8780 7200. www.vso.org.uk