Blog

More than 300 VSO volunteers, supporters and friends came together on 19 January 2021 to celebrate the impact of volunteering for development at the Volunteer Impact Awards.  

With countries around the world in lockdown, children with learning difficulties and disabilities are more vulnerable than ever. We hear from four Rwandan-based volunteers making sure these children aren’t left behind.

Each year, more than one billion people volunteer; joining them might just be the best thing you ever do. Here’s why.

Over five years since world leaders created the Sustainable Development Goals, with attention now focused squarely on the global pandemic, you'd be forgiven for wondering: does anyone still care about the SDGs?

We want to thank the volunteers and supporters who have given us hope this year, despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic.

For girls living in extreme poverty in Kenya, the “bride price” on their heads is a ticking time bomb. With millions of girls forced out of school to marry, a VSO project is proving it’s never too late for them to catch up and reclaim a better future. 

Khamis is thriving against the odds thanks to VSO projects in Tanzania. Watch his journey in this short film by young filmmaker – and VSO volunteer – Nicholaus Jackson Ambwene.

The coronavirus pandemic is hitting the world’s poorest hardest, plunging people into poverty. No truer is this than in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement in north-western Uganda, where VSO volunteer Daniel Adotu has been making sure the camp’s most vulnerable residents don’t go hungry.

Mounting evidence shows food security has dwindled during the pandemic, especially for the most marginalised. Without urgent action, a year of famines looks increasingly likely in 2021.

After the coronavirus pandemic sparked a nationwide lockdown in Myanmar, we look at how VSO has been supporting students in Myanmar, whether they are in school or at home.

People supported by VSO showed marked resilience through the pandemic but have emerged with changed priorities. A survey covering nine countries reveals farmers and business owners urgently need support with innovation and training to help them rebuild their incomes. 

Schools around the world have begun to reopen, but the attainment gap for children will be wider than ever. VSO’s Lead Education Adviser Purna Shrestha outlines how to close it.