Female VSO volunteers

Happy International Women's Day

Join us in celebrating under this year’s theme, “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”

Creating lasting change by unlocking the power of people

At VSO we harness the skills and expertise of volunteers to deliver long lasting change. We put people first and empower them to be in the driving seat of their own development. Our volunteers work in collaboration with marginalised communities in every aspect of project design, delivery and evaluation, enabling the world's poorest communities to take charge of their own change. 

Areas of work

Purnima at a catch up class
Suraj Shakya

Inclusive education

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

We helped almost 3.6 million people to access the quality education they deserve using our current strategy.

Young female farmers in Kenya
VSO/Paul Wambugu

Resilient livelihoods

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

Over 400,000 people benefited from our work supporting livelihoods using our current strategy.

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.

We helped almost 200,000 people access better healthcare using our current strategy.

Vanessa outside her home

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Latest news

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Peacebuilding volunteer Rahma
VSO/Paul Wambugu

Five things women achieved this year that you might not know about

This International Women's Day, join us in celebrating the resilience of women across the globe with some female achievements you might not have heard about.

Lamia Tasnim

Breaking barriers: Lamia journey of volunteering, leadership, and gender equity

Lamia Tasnim's volunteering journey began in 2018, and over the course of the last six years, her passion for supporting her community has only grown.

Aarati talking to local women

Empowering change: The role of female leadership in advancing women's rights

Growing up in the heart of Madesh Province in Nepal, Aarati Patel witnessed first-hand the harsh realities that many women and girls in my community face daily. Hear how she's supporting girls in Nepal to find their voice and create a world where every girl has the freedom to choose her own path. 

Our impact

Using our current strategy (2022-28), VSO has reached 24.8 million people, including over 20.6 million indirectly and nearly 4.2 million directly.

Find out more in our impact report

3.6m

Nearly 3.6 million were reached through our education projects.

400,000

Over 400,000 people were reached through our resilient livelihoods programme.

200,000

Almost 200,000 people were reached through our health projects.

Volunteering with VSO

Make an impact by sharing your skills and experience with some of the most marginalised people in the world. Become a VSO volunteer.

Browse all current opportunities

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