National volunteering

Building on long traditions of community self help and volunteering, VSO has been working with governments, civil society, media and private sector organizations to strengthen and create initiatives that will promote national volunteering (NV).

National volunteering is simply people volunteering within their own country. International volunteer-sending organizations increasingly agree that national volunteering is a powerful tool that reflects a more contemporary approach to volunteering.

VSO believes that people working together out of community responsibility and shared commitment can make a major contribution to reducing poverty, promoting development and strengthening civil society.

VSO supports more than 100 national volunteering partners in over 25 countries to develop and manage sustainable volunteering programs that focus on development. We do not promote a particular model of national volunteering and the programs we support can include:

  • part-time volunteering

  • full-time volunteering 

  • volunteering within a volunteer’s local community

  • volunteering outside a volunteer’s local community.

Children on the move (South Africa - Education)

Why volunteer?

“The first step is to see the public as the active agent rather than as merely the long suffering patient.” Amartya Sen

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Start your VSO journey by registering here

VSO Bahaginan