Your help is needed to make sure no girl is left behind.
Creating lasting change by unlocking the power of people
At VSO we harness the skills and expertise of volunteers to deliver long lasting change. We put people first and empower them to be in the driving seat of their own development. Our volunteers work in collaboration with marginalised communities in every aspect of project design, delivery and evaluation, enabling the world's poorest communities to take charge of their own change.
Areas of work
Inclusive and resilient education
Making sure everyone gets the skills they need to live a fulfilled, dignified life.
We helped over 3.2 million people to access the quality education they deserve in 2022-23.
Resilient livelihoods
Ensuring people have the skills and opportunities needed to support themselves and their families.
200,000 people benefited from our work supporting livelihoods in 2022-23.
Adolescent and youth health and wellbeing
Improving health services and empowering people to exercise their right to quality care.
We helped almost 90,000 people access better healthcare in 2022-23.
Help make sure no girl is left behind
Girls like Florence are forced to leave school. With no education, they have no chance of finding work and find themselves stuck in the cycle of poverty with no way out.
Help us give girls a chance for a better future, and make sure no more girls are left behind.
Visit your local VSO website
Latest news
Hear stories from volunteers and communities and stay up-to-date with the latest VSO news.
From volunteer sending to active citizenship: A history of VSO
In 1958, Moira and Alec Dickenson recruited 16 youth volunteers to go to Borneo. This was the start of our journey. The one constant throughout our story is our focus on volunteering, though now our work is informed by the idea of active citizenship.
How girls are learning and earning their way out of poverty
Girls across Africa are being forced to drop out of school early as families are forced to make tough decisions as money and resources are limited. With your support, VSO have helped girls to return to education and secure employment opportunities.
"Girls deserve an education just as much as boys"
Meet 26 year-old community volunteer Salma Rehmat from Afghanistan. Salma advocates for Afghan refugees and host communities in Pakistan to access a quality education. Find out more.
Our impact
In 2022-23, VSO reached 10.9 million people, nearly 7.4 million indirectly and over 3.5 million directly.
Over 3.2 million were reached through our education projects.
Almost 200,000 people were reached through our resilient livelihoods programme.
Almost 90,000 people were reached through our health projects.
Over 87,000 through our wider work on resilience, inclusion and social accountability.
Volunteering with VSO
Make an impact by sharing your skills and experience with some of the most marginalised people in the world. Become a VSO volunteer.
More ways you can support VSO
- Support us with a donation
- Job opportunities at VSO
- Read Kin Magazine
- Partnerships
- Global volunteer network