Today VSO’s work is informed by the idea of active citizenship where people around the world have the confidence and capability to demand accountability from those responsible for providing basic services as well as taking their own action to bring about positive change in their communities and societies.
Whilst a lot has changed, the one constant throughout VSO's 66-year history is their focus on impact of responsible and ethical volunteering, seeing it not simply as a transactional activity in which skills and knowledge are transferred from one person or group to another but rather as a transformational activity which builds collective insight, innovation and action. Over the years, VSO has invested in building the evidence base for how volunteering delivers that transformational change through pioneering studies such as Valuing Volunteering and Volunteering Together.
Volunteering, when well-managed and supported, is increasingly recognised as a key step in building active citizenship. It instils agency, enhances personal value, and fosters skills, empathy and a sense of connection that in turn, creates a ripple effect that brings about positive long-lasting change. This was illustrated during one of the largest ever studies of the impacts of volunteering on development outcomes.
Active citizenship is crucial in catalysing sustainable change in the community. When governments are held accountable and supported to engage with active citizens, it enhances their effectiveness in responding to community’s needs and aspirations.
Whilst VSO still recruits national and international volunteers with specific niche technical expertise to deliver to the programmes, much of their work is supported by community volunteers such as Salma from Afghanistan.
Increasingly, VSO's work has focused on supporting national and local organisations, with governments and with multilateral institutions such as the African Union, to build their capacity to promote volunteering as discipline which strengthens education, health and livelihoods systems. This in turn builds a more robust civil society that ensures no-one is left behind.
VSO knows that as well as building stronger societies, volunteering also transforms the volunteers themselves. The 100,000 international, national and community volunteers who worked with VSO over the years, not only had an impact on the communities they supported but have also experienced significant personal and professional growth, gaining new perspectives, skills and new lifelong friends, colleagues and sometimes, love.
VSO’s 100,000th volunteer marks, not only a milestone in the organisation's history, but also a testament to the enduring power of volunteering. The journey is far from over, and the impact of VSO volunteers will continue to ripple through communities, creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.
Volunteers such as Rukaiya in Bangladesh and Kamal in Ethiopia who have been an active part of VSO's journey, exemplify the transformative power of volunteering. Through their collective efforts, they have shaped a more compassionate and connected world, leaving an indelible mark on the communities they've served and the hearts of those they've touched.
Let this celebration be a call to action, inspiring more individuals to join the global movement of volunteers open to and contribute their unique skills, knowledge and ideas to making a positive change and creating a fairer world for everyone.
Hear from volunteers about why they volunteer with VSO
VSO's unique volunteering for development approach
At VSO, they know that people in developing countries have the power, courage and desire to help themselves. That’s why they use a unique volunteering for development approach that puts the most marginalised people first, to build a more equitable society.
Current Job Opportunities at VSO
*Article provided by Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). Author: Philip Goodwin (Chief Executive at VSO), adapted by ImpactPool.*
