Elizabeth with her 2 children

Help ensure women’s lives in Kenya aren’t thrown away

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 over 3.2 million people to access the quality education they deserve in 2022-23.

Young female farmers in Kenya
VSO/Paul Wambugu

Resilient livelihoods

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

200,000 people benefited from our work supporting livelihoods in 2022-23.

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 90,000 people access better healthcare in 2022-23.

Text: Your will could do wonders

Write your will for free!

You can amend of write your will with us for free!

We've coupled up with Octopus Legacy, one of the UK's leading free will service providers, to help give you peace of mind.

Find out more

Visit your local VSO website

Latest news

Hear stories from volunteers and communities and stay up-to-date with the latest VSO news.

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Vanessa outside her home
VSO/Paul Wambugu

The women turning waste into wages on Kenya’s dumpsites

In Nairobi, Kenya, waste pickers are working every day, cleaning up their communities by picking waste and taking it to recycling centres. Women waste pickers, like Vanessa, earn little for their essential work, and face abuse from residents who see their jobs as ‘dirty'.

Timina in the classroom.

“Having volunteers who come from the community is so important because they understand the challenges”

Timina is a passionate Inclusive Education Advisor on the ACTIVE project in Kenya. Hear how she's helping the Makueni County community to embrace inclusive practices.

Lucy Asewe with children

‘’My goal is to create lasting change, create resilience and fight for those who don't have voices"

Lucy Asewe is an Inclusive Education Adviser on the ACTIVE project in Kenya. Hear how she's helping children with disabilities to receive a fair education

Our impact

In 2022-23, VSO reached 10.9 million people, nearly 7.4 million indirectly and over 3.5 million directly.

Find out more in our annual impact report

3.2m

Over 3.2 million were reached through our education projects.

200,000

Almost 200,000 people were reached through our resilient livelihoods programme.

90,000

Almost 90,000 people were reached through our health projects.

87,000

Over 87,000 through our wider work on resilience, inclusion and social accountability.

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

More ways you can support VSO

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