How your donation helps

Throughout the Pacific, Asia and Africa VSA volunteers work alongside local partner organisations that are striving for positive change. Your donation supports these partnerships.

Vanuatu Early Childhood Association (VEJA), Vanuatu – PACIFIC 

In June 2010 VEJA celebrated 25 years of providing education to preschool children throughout local communities in Vanuatu.

President of VEJA since 2003, Sembu George, talks about how the partnership with VSA helps her organisation: 

“VSA is a partner that selects volunteers that meet the criteria of VEJA’s needs. Volunteers give training to the Key Teachers who then go back to the community to implement what they have learned from the training. The flow goes from the Key Teachers to teachers and then to children and the community.”

"VSA volunteers are a resource that can lead us forward. We can have the money but if we don’t have the right people – then what? You can do the work if you have the people in place even without money but it doesn’t work the other way. It is better to have the people.”

 

Dili Institute of Technology (DIT), Timor-Leste – ASIA

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DIT has just celebrated its eight birthday as a tertiary education organisation. All of its education courses support young people getting into employment – learning skills so that they can start a business or have meaningful paid work. VSA helps with automotive training by setting up facilities, and then a volunteer helps with curriculum development and encourages trainers to deliver it better.

Estanislau Saldanha, Rector at Dili Institute of Technology, talks about how the partnership with VSA helps his organisation:

"Volunteers are better than money, especially for a new institution like DIT. It is better for a person to train staff so they can teach our students effectively. The other thing I like about VSA volunteers is that they are good role models for all of the people at DIT – staff and students. This is in all areas, not just the activities related to their assignment.

“In Timor-Leste there are a large number of young people who are unemployed. To avoid more conflict we need to use their energy positively. Our goal is to train them in useful skills to benefit all the community.”

Global Service Corps (GSC-TZ), Tanzania - AFRICA

GSC-TZ is an NGO that helps vulnerable Tanzanians improve their livelihoods through sustainable agriculture and health education. Tanzanians trained in sustainable farming methods learn about organic home gardens, rural poultry vaccination, water harvesting and nutrition. HIV/AIDS programmes are about providing information, nutrition, voluntary counselling and testing.

Erwin Kinsey, Country Director of Global Service Corps Tanzania talks about how the partnership with VSA helps his organisation:  

“Created in 2001, GSC-TZ has grown to a staff of 31 Tanzanians and three expatriates. We have worked with two VSA volunteers, Thomas Broughton and Michael Allard, who have been instrumental in transforming us from an organisation focusing on volunteer experiences to one promoting sustainable programmes. They have helped identify gaps in resources and develop teaching curricula and training materials. They have also assisted staff to plan and implement new programmes and identify new marginal groups.”