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VSA and World Vision have established a partnership to develop and fill volunteer assignments in the Pacific and Timor-Leste.

The new partnership formalises the relationship that has existed between the two NGOs for several years.

Under the partnership agreement, the two organisations will work together to develop volunteer assignments with World Vision projects based in the Pacific and Timor-Leste. The assignments will focus on projects that have received funding from the New Zealand Aid Programme’s Sustainable Development Fund.

The volunteers will be called World Vision/VSA volunteers.

Bougainville, where one of the assignments will be based

The first two World Vision/VSA assignments have now been advertised. One is as a marketing adviser based in Bougainville and the other as a marketing adviser based in Vanuatu. In both cases the assignments involve working with local farmers’ organisations to help farmers increase their income, and also working with local World Vision staff to increase their capacity.

VSA chief executive officer Deborah Snelson, has welcomed the partnership agreement with World Vision, saying it is an exciting example of collaboration between development agencies to improve support for New Zealand’s development initiative.

Assignments will involve working with local farmers' organisations to help farmers increase their income.

“At VSA we want to make it possible for as many New Zealanders as possible to share their skills in developing countries. We are looking forward to developing more assignments in partnership with World Vision.”

World Vision chief executive officer Chris Clarke added: "This is a significant partnership for World Vision. It provides another way for Kiwis to make a hands-on contribution by lending their expertise to our economic development programmes in the Pacific."