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2016/2017 UNITING AGAINST POVERTY
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2016/2017 Uniting against poverty
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MissionSince 1958 our mission has been to bring people together to fight poverty through the lasting power of volunteering.
Whether our work is with local communities or with governments, it is always grounded in our four values:
•Bythinkingglobally,wecanchangetheworld
•Progressisonlypossiblethroughworkingtogether
•Peoplearethebestagentsofchange
•Knowledgeisourmostpowerfultool.
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A world without poverty.
vso’s vision
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MariInaremotecommunityinKenyaIwasfortunateenoughtohavemetagroupofKenyanandUK
youthvolunteersontheInternationalCitizenServiceprogramme.Immediately,Iwasstruckbytheenergyandenthusiasmoftheseyoungpeople.Ithenheardabouttheinnovativeworktheyaredoingtopromoteinclusion,particularlyforthosewithhearingproblems,anditmademesoproudoftheroleVSOisplayingtoensurenooneisleftbehindandtheworldisabetterplace.
pHiLipInJunelastyear,ItravelledtoEasternGhanatomeetwomenfarmersonouragriculturallivelihoods
programme,deliveredinpartnershipwithMondelez.Someofthewomenwehavesupportedthroughourworkhavebecomecommunityvolunteers,workingtosupportotherwomeninneighbouringcommunities.DuringthevisitIaskedoneofthewomenwhyshedidthis.Shewasbothquickandeloquentinherreply,“Weallhaveadutytobrightenourcorner.Ifthroughmyactions,Icanhelpbringsomeoneoutofpovertyandintothelight,thenitismyduty”.
WeLCoMefrom the Chair and the Chief Executive
ThissimplemessagefromGhanagoestotheheartofVSO’smission–bringingpeopletogethertotacklepoverty.Itiswhywe’resoproudtoleadthisorganisation,whichissopassionateaboutmakingtangibleandsustainablechangesinthelivesofpeople,communitiesandsocieties.Itiswhywecountourselvesluckythat-inaworldfacedbysomanychallengesandwhatseemlikesomanybadnewsstories–ouremployees,volunteers,andthepeopleweareheretoserve,providesomanyinspirationalstoriesofselflessness,hopeandpositivechange.Youwillreadaboutsomeoftheseinthisannualreport.
tHe possiBiLity oF CHangeVSO’sworkisspecial.Itisspecialbecauseitunlocksthepossibilityofpositivechange.Itdoesthatbybringingpeoplefromdifferentbackgrounds,expertiseandexperiencetogethertogeneratenewideas,newinsightsandnewwaysofdoingthings.Weareanorganisationthatbuildswhatwecall“socialcapital”–networks,ideas,relationships–thatenableacommunity,anorganisation,asocietytofunctionmoreeffectively.Thisdeliversnotjustimmediatechangebutlong-termandsustainableimpact.Importantly,intheplacesweworkitalso
helpscommunitiesbecomemoreresilient.Theyareabletogetbackontheirfeetmorequicklyifdisasterstrikes.We’veseentheimpactofthiskindofinvestmentinourprogrammesinNepalaftertheearthquakeof2015.We’vealsoseenitinourworkinSierraLeonewherewearenowhelpingto
rebuildthehealthsystemaftertheterribleEbolaepidemic.
BUiLDing eviDenCe Whilewehaveachievedalotinthelast12months,weareanorganisationthatisalwaysambitioustodobetter.Wehavecontinuedtobuildtheevidencebaseforourwork,lookingforwhatworksand,justasimportantly,whatdoesn’twork.AtVSO,weprideourselvesonmakingdecisionsbasedonevidence.We’reparticularlypleasedthatwehavecompletedourresearch,“ImpactBeyondVolunteering”,whichshowshowvolunteeringbuildspersonalconfidenceandresilience,aswellasenergisingcitizens,whoarethenmakingapositivecontributiontosociety.
Moving ForWarDAswegoforward,wecontinuetochallengeourselvestodomore.First,toensureweareworkingwiththoseattheverymarginsofsociety,whomostneedVSO’ssupport.Second,toworkmorecloselywithotherorganisationsaroundtheworldtobuildaglobalnetworkofactivecitizensandvolunteerswhocanhelpdeliverthefairerandmoreequitableworldweallhopefor.AtVSO,wesayavolunteerisanyone
whohasthecourageanddeterminationtobethechangethattheywantintheworld.Andwhilesometimestheworldcanseemaverytroublingplace,whatweseeinVSOprogrammesisthatvolunteeringisapracticalwayforeachofustoliveourcommitmenttosocialchange.Wehopeyouenjoyreadingaboutourwork.
“Education is the most important thing, education is our future”, Girls club in northern Ghana sing their dreams.
Rekha Shrestha from the National Disaster Recovery Co-ordination Secretariat, chats to Kopila Tamang at the ‘Internally Displaced Person’ camp in Dhading, Nepal.
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Lastyear,VSOsupportedover2.4millionpeoplein24countriesacrossAfrica,AsiaandthePacific.Weworkedwith420localpartnerorganisationsandtrainedover7,000volunteersandprofessionalstohelpcreatelong-lastingchangeinsomeofthepoorestcommunitiesintheworld.
HoW We WorKUsingouruniquevolunteeringfor
developmentapproachwebroughtthousandsofpeopletogethertogenerateinsights,ideasand,aboveall,actiononpovertyandexclusion.Notonlydowerecruitinternational
volunteersfromallovertheworld,weareincreasinglyworkingwithnationalvolunteerswhoworkintheirowncountries.Wealsoworkwithdedicatedcorporate
andparliamentaryvolunteers,andwithyouthvolunteersthroughtheInternationalCitizensService(ICS).ICSisaUK-governmentfundedvolunteeringprogrammethatseesBritishvolunteersaged18-25yearsundertake10-12weekvolunteeringplacementsoverseas
alongsideyoungvolunteersfromtheirplacementcountry.VSOleadsaconsortiumofeightrespecteddevelopmentorganisationstodelivertheICSprogramme,andin2016/17mobilised6,585youngpeoplethroughtheprogramme.
WHat We DoOurworkfocusesondeliveringlong
termchangeinthreeareas:education,healthandlivelihoods.
We organise our efforts within five core programme areas:•Maternalandnewbornhealth•Adolescentandyouthsexualandreproductivehealthandrights
•Inclusiveeducation•Agri-basedvaluechains•Youthemploymentandenterprise.
Inaddition,werecognisethatsocialinclusion,genderequalityandsocialaccountabilityarecriticaltoensuresustainable,systemicchange,andthesearenowcoretoourdevelopmentapproach.
We brought thousands of people together to generate insights, ideas and, above all, action on poverty and exclusion.
oUr year in nUMBers
oUr iMpaCtIn 2016/17 we supported;
over900,000
peoplethroughoureducationprogrammes
over1,336,000 peoplethroughourhealthprogrammes
over165,000
peoplethroughourlivelihoodsprogrammes
voLUnteering For DeveLopMentVSO worked with 7237 volunteers from all countries, ages and backgrounds, including;
6585youthvolunteers
239internationalvolunteers
319nationalvolunteers
94corporatevolunteers
yoUtH voLUnteeringICS celebrated its biggest year to date, with 3317 UK volunteers joining 3268 local volunteers to help make a difference in some of the world’s poorest communities. This included;
26,400hoursofpeereducation
3,300actionresearchprojects
14,600hoursofawarenessraisingactivities
25,300hoursoftraining
1,779communityinfrastructureprojects
420 Partners
ICS volunteers get ready for a Community Action Day in the Lindi region, Tanzania.
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Tofindoutmoreaboutthecountriesweworkin,pleasevisitwww.vsointernational.org/fighting-povertyi
•Bangladesh
•Cambodia
•Ethiopia
•Ghana
•India
•Kenya
•Lesotho
•Malawi
•Mozambique
•Myanmar
•Nepal
•Nigeria
•Pakistan
•PapuaNewGuinea
•Philippines
•Rwanda
•SierraLeone
•SouthAfrica
•Swaziland
•Tanzania
•Thailand
•Uganda
•Zambia
•Zimbabwe
vso WorKs in 24 CoUntries
BangLaDesHOverathousandpeopleattendedacommunityactiondayorganisedbyICSyouthvolunteersinDinjapur,Bangladesh,tocelebrateInternationalWomen’sDay.
KenyaUKvolunteersworkedalongsideDeafvolunteersfromKenyaonthe‘Deafway’projectinKasabet.TheteamcarriedoutcommunitytrainingonbasicKenyanSignLanguageandcreatedcommunityspaceswheredeafpeoplecouldsharetheirexperiences.Theseactivitiespromotedintegration,equalityandawareness.
inDiaVSO’sAaghaazproject,inpartnershipwithtelecomsproviderBhartiInfratel,trained1,004vulnerablewomeninJharkhandprovinceinvocationssuchassecurityandhospitalityaswellaslifeskills.Over70%ofthewomenhavefoundsecureemployment.Weplantoexpandtheprojecttotrainmorethan3,000women.
MyanMarVSOmidwifeadviserssupportedfourmidwiferytrainingschoolsintheuseofclinicalcompetency-basedmodelsandcomputer-basedlearningresources.Eightoutof10midwivestutoredbyVSOadvisersreportedimprovedskillsinclinical,antenatalandpostnatalcare.
nigeriaVSOhasintroducedamobilesciencelabtosupportschoolsinIfelodunincreasethenumberofstudentsstudyingsciencesubjects.Oneschool,whichpreviouslyhadnostudentsstudyingscience,hasrecorded11studentsforsciencesubjects.
ZiMBaBWeGraduatescamefromZimbabwe’sfirst-everaccreditedvocationaltrainingcourseinaprisonsetting.ThetrainingwasestablishedwithsupportfromaVSOprojectpromotinghumanrightsandaccesstohealthservicesinprisonsinthreecountriesacrosssouthernAfrica.
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Millionsofchildrenaroundtheworldaredeniedtheirrighttoaqualityeducation,whichcouldhelpthemescapepoverty.VSOworkstoimproveeducationfor
children,especiallythemostmarginalisedinsociety.Wedothisbydevelopingteachers’skills,improvingeducationmanagementandincreasingcommunitysupportforeducation.Lastyearoureducationprogrammes
helpedsupportover900,000childrenacross15countries.
inCLUsive eDUCationOureducationprogrammestarget
thechildrenmostlikelytobeexcluded,includinggirlsandthosewithdisabilities.We’veincreasedschoolenrolmentandimprovedattitudestowardssuchchildreninprojectsacrossEthiopia,Nepal,KenyaandRwanda.InEthiopia,VSOsupportedtheAbiAdi
CollegeofTeachersEducationand10primaryschoolstoimproveaccesstoqualityeducationforchildreninremoteanddisadvantagedareas.Childrenintheseschoolsbenefitedfromgreaterlearningoutcomesandschoolattendance.Theprojectalsoimprovedschoolfacilitiesinareasaffectedbydrought,meaningmorechildrencanaccessqualityeducation.
teCHnoLogy in aCtionTechnologyprovidesinnovativeand
cost-effectivelearningimprovementsonVSOprogrammes.InGhana,forexample,wesuccessfullypilotedatechnology-basedplatformtodeliverteachingandlearningresourcestoteachers.InMalawi,wesawa45%improvement
inlearninggainsofchildreninvolvedinourUnlockingTalentthroughTechnologyproject.Thisusesdigitaleducationtechnologytoacceleratelearningforchildreninovercrowded,under-resourcedclassrooms.Asaresult,theMinistryofEducationhasexpressedinterestinintegratingtheapproachacrossMalawi.
invoLving CoMMUnitiesVSOhasstrengthenedparent-teacher
associationsandschoolmanagementcommitteeswhichhassuccessfullyincreasedparentalandcommunityinvolvementineducation.InNigeria,ICSvolunteersranaprogramme
focusedongettingchildrentoschool.Theycreatedchild-friendlylearningspacesinlocalcommunities,wheretheytaughtbasicliteracyandnumeracyalongsidesoftskillslikepersonalhygiene.Theprogrammewassuccessfulinprovidingeducationalternativesandre-enrollingchildreninschools.
HeLping CHiLDren WitH DisaBiLities in rWanDaCharles,11,haslearningdisabilities.
Heusedtostaysilentinschoolandkeptseparatefromotherchildren.ButthenhisteacheratGahangaPrimarySchoolinNyamagabe,Rwanda,wastrainedaspartofVSO’sL3+project.NowCharlesmixeswithotherchildren,andhasevenbeguntospeak.Aroundonein10childreninRwanda
livewithadisability.Mostarenotinschool,andteachersgenerallylackthetrainingandresourcestodojusticetothosewhoare.TheL3+projectprovidesspecialist
trainingtoteachersinmainstreamschoolsonengagingchildrenwithdisabilities,includingbymakingspecialno-costteachingandlearningmaterials.Now78%ofteachersinvolvedareconfidentthatchildrenwithdisabilitiesareproperlyincludedintheirclassrooms.Theprojectalsoprovidestrainingand
awarenessraisingtoparentsandhealthworkersonidentifyingandreferringchildrenwithdisabilities,andonunderstandingandprotectingtheirrights.AtthestartoftheL3+project,fourout
of10teacherssaidchildrenwithdisabilitieswereaburdentosociety.Thisnumberhasnowfallentoonein10.
Every child has the right to a quality education that gives them the best start in life.
15countries
Pupils at Ngwenya Primary School in Lilongwe, Malawi, waiting to log in to their Unlocking Talent Through Technology class session.
gLoBaL prograMMesEducation
over 900,000people supported
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saving neWBorn Lives in tanZania
Aroundtheworldpeoplearesufferingneedlesslyduetoalackofqualityhealthservices,keepingthemtrappedinacycleofpoverty.VSOworkswithhealthworkers,
communitiesandgovernmentstoimprovehealthservices,focusingontheareasofmaternalandnewbornhealth,andadolescentandyouthsexualhealthandrights.Lastyearourhealthprogrammeshelped
over1,336.000peopleaccessthequalityhealthcaretheydeserve.
MaternaL anD neWBorn HeaLtHEachyear,over2.6millionbabiesdie
withinthefirst28daysoflife.Mostofthesedeathsoccurindevelopingcountriesfrompreventablecauses.VSOworksincommunitiesandhealthfacilitiestotrainhealthworkersinclinicalskillssuchasnewborncareandresuscitation,improveservicemanagement,andpromotelow-cost,high-impacttechnologyandpractice.Newborndeathratesdropped
significantlyinpartnerhospitalsinEthiopia,Myanmar,TanzaniaandUganda,whereVSOhassupportedimprovedneonatalintensivecareunits.InEthiopia,thedevelopmentofmaternitywaitinghomeshasallowedwomenexperiencingcomplicatedpregnanciestoaccessspecialisedsupport
before,duringandafterdelivery.InSierraLeone,TanzaniaandUganda,
VSOsupportedcommunitiestodemandbetteraccesstomaternalandnewbornhealthcare,increasingreferralstospecialistcarefacilitiesandreducingthenumberofunattendedhomebirths.
aDoLesCent anD yoUtH seXUaL anD reproDUCtive HeaLtHGlobally,adolescentsandyouthare
disproportionatelyaffectedbypoorsexualandreproductivehealthservices.VSOworkstomaketheseservicesyouthfriendlyandaccessible.Lastyearwesupportedcommunitiestochallengethediscriminationthatcanstopyoungpeopleaccessingtheinformationandservicestheyneedtomakeinformedchoices.Increasingly,weworkdirectlywithyoung
people,whileinfluencingthosewhoexertpoweroverthem.In10countriesyouthvolunteersdeliveredpeer-to-peerprogrammesfocusingoneducation,support,mentoring,leadershipandresearch.Asaresult,moreyoungpeopleare
accessingsexualandreproductivehealthservices,andhavebeenempoweredtochallengeharmfulpracticessuchasearlyforcedmarriage,femalegenitalcuttingandgender-basedviolence.
MedicalattendantSophiausesaNewbornTriageChecklistCardsuppliedbyVSOtoassessnewbornhealthatStWalburg’sHospital,Nyangao,Tanzania.TheunitisbeingsupportedaspartofVSO’sAcceleratedCareandTreatment(ACT)projectimprovinghealthcareforpregnantwomen,mothersandnewborns.Sevennewbornintensivecareunits
(NICUs)havebeenestablishedthroughACTinruralareasoftheMtwaraandLindidistricts.Theseareequippedwitheasy-to-use,low-costbuteffectivetechnologysuchasportableultrasoundmachines.SMStextmessagingwasalso
successfullyusedtoremindexpectantmothersofprenatalchecksandshareotherhealthinformation.BeforeACT,therewerenospecialised
NICUsortrainingonnewborncareforhealthworkersintheseregions.VSOisthefirstorganisationtosupporttheprovisionofthese,andisproudoftheresults.Thisyearantenatalvisitsincreasedfrom
45%to75%andthefacilityofdeliveryfrom64%to90%,whilethetimeforidentifyingandmanagingcomplicationsandreferringpatientstoNICUsdecreased.Acomparisonofrelativedatashowsthatnewborndeathratehasdroppedby37%since2013.
gLoBaL prograMMesHealth
Each year, over 2.6 million babies die within the first 28 days of life. Most of these deaths happen in developing countries from preventable causes.
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over 1,336,000people supported
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Janet, 17, is one of the young mothers who received vital specialist care for her baby thanks to the VSO supported neonatal intensive care unit in Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda.
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sUpporting LiveLiHooDs in UganDa
Millionsofpeoplearestrugglingwithoutareliablesourceoffoodandincometosupportthemselvesandtheirfamilies.VSOprogrammeshelppeopleliveindignityandsecurity,withbetterskills,incomeandfaireraccesstomarkets.
iMproving inCoMes For yoUng peopLeGlobalyouthpopulationsarebooming
-butyoungpeoplearethreetimesmorelikelytobeoutofworkthanadults.VSOimprovestheemployabilityofyoung
peoplethrougheducationandvocationaltraining,andbyworkingwithbusinessestocreatemorejobs.InUganda,theYouthEmpowerment
andLocalGovernanceprojecttoincreasesustainableemploymentopportunitiesforyoungpeople,ledtohigherincomeforallparticipants.Indeed,theaverageweeklyincomeforthoseinvolvedintheprojectwasthreeandhalftimeslargerthanfortheyouthinnorthernUganda.
aCCess to FinanCiaL serviCes For FarMing CoMMUnitiesManyoftheworld’sfarmingcommunities
facehighrisksandlowreturns.Weworkatalllevelsofsocietytoprovidebettermarketaccessformarginalisedfarmers,improve
farmers’bargainingpowerandincreaseyields.OurGrowingTogetherprogramme
supportsthelivelihoodsoffarmingcommunitiesinnorthernBangladesh.OvertwothirdsoffarmersintheMithapukerregion,whohavediversifiedcropsaspartofGrowingTogether,reportincreasesofnetincomebyanaverageof300%overthepasttwoyears.InTanzania,ourCommercialAgriculture
forSmallholderFarmersinHorticultureprojecthelpssmallholderfarmersincreasequalityofproduceandaccesstomarkets,andcontinuestodelivergreatreturnsoninvestment.Forevery£1invested,£4.70wasreturnedineconomicvalue.Lastyear,thisprojectreachedover7,000people.
CHanging oUr approaCHFollowinganin-depthreviewofVSO’s
livelihoodswork,wehaveimprovedourpracticestoensuregreaterresourceisdevotedtounderstandingtheaspirations,abilitiesandassetsofthecommunitiesweworkwithsothatwecandeliversignificantchange.Ournewframeworkisbeingpiloted
acrossarangeofprogrammesthroughout2017andwillbesupportedbycontinuedin-depthanalysis.
NorthernUgandahasstruggledfollowingyearsofconflict.Manychildrenandyoungpeopleweredisplacedduringthefightingandtheireducationsuffered.Today,aroundeightin10youngpeopleinUgandaareunemployed.VSOvolunteersaresupportingyoung
peopletoaccesstraininginemploymentandagriculture.ChristineAtoo,27,isoneoftheyoung
farmersbenefitting.Herfamilywereforcedtofleeduringthewar.Whenitwasfinallysafetoreturn,shehadtostartfromscratch:“Wecouldn’taffordtotakecareofour
needs.Wedidn’thavecleanwater.Whensomeonewassickwecouldn’taffordtreatment.”“Wewouldonlyfarmsmallamountsof
foodforconsumption.Iusedtodigmylandusingmyhandsalone.”ThingschangedforChristineaftershe
becameinvolvedwiththeproject.“I’vebeentrainedinhowtospacemy
cropsoutandidentifydiseases–it’samazing.It’simprovedmyyielddramatically.”“VSOisdifferent.Theydidn’tjustgiveus
oxenormoney.Theytaughtusonhowtosustainourenterprises.Welearnedhowtogetsomethingbyworkinghard.Thisissomethingthatwehaveownershipof.”
Members of EpilBaha Farmers Group celebrate with Syngenta and VSO volunteers involved in the Growing Together in Rangpur, Bangladesh.
gLoBaL prograMMesLivelihoods
VSO builds programmes that help people live in dignity and security.
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over 165,000people supported
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In2016/17VSOintroduceditsthreecoreapproaches:socialaccountability,resilienceandsocialinclusion.ThesethreeapproachesunderpineverythingVSOdoesasanorganisationunderournewPeopleFirststrategy.
soCiaL inCLUsion anD genDerTheSustainableDevelopmentGoals
areapromisetoendglobalpovertyby2030,leavingnoonebehind.ButtodaythousandsofthepeopleVSOworkswitharediscriminated,marginalisedandexcludedonthegroundsoftheirgender,race,age,sexualorientation,disabilityandmanyotherfactors.Allourprogrammesacrosseducation,
healthandlivelihoodsaretargetedatthepoorestandmostmarginalisedinsociety.Weaimtobreakdownthebarriersthatcauseandperpetuateinequalityand
exclusion,andimproveaccesstoqualityservicesforall.VSOensuresthatallprogrammes
considergender,ageanddisabilitywithintheirprojectsandVSOisworkingtodefinemarginalisationandexclusionfurtherwithinspecificlocalcontexts.Forexample,discriminationbasedoncasteinNepal,orreligioninPakistan.Werecognisethatourprogrammes
needtoundergoin-depthsocialexclusionandgenderanalysisatthedesignphase.Wemadestridesforwardinthepastyear,carryingoutdetailedsocialexclusionandgenderanalysesinRwanda,Bangladesh,SwazilandandKenya.Theseanalyseswillhelpunderstandthesystemsofsocialexclusionandrefocusourprogrammingtowardsreachingthemostmarginalisedmembersofsociety.VSO’scommitmenttogenderequality
andsocialinclusiongoesbeyondprogrammes,extendingintothebehaviourandpracticesofstaff,volunteersandpartners.Wemadeconsciouseffortstoraiseawarenessoftheseissuesin2016/17,includingtrainingforover700peopleworkingtodeliverVSO’svision.Over40peoplewerealsoidentifiedtocontinuethisawarenessraisingwithnewstaff,volunteersandpartners.
soCiaL aCCoUntaBiLityVSOiscommittedtoensuringthatpoor
andmarginalisedpeoplehaveaccesstomoreresponsiveandinclusiveservicesandareabletoholddecision-makerstoaccount.
Throughout our programmes, we aim to:•Buildwillingnessandcapacityofgovernmentandotherserviceandresourceproviderstobeaccountabletocitizens,especiallypoorandmarginalisedpeople
•Buildwillingnessandcapacityofcitizenstoexactaccountabilityfromthoseinpower
•Developspacesandprocessesforengagement
•Advocatefortheinclusionofmarginalisedpeople
ExamplesincludestrengtheningcivilsocietyorganisationsinCambodia,andprovidingtechnicaladvicetoZambiangovernmentofficialstoimproveplanningandservicedelivery.InRwanda,wecontinuedworkwith
theNationalCouncilofPersonswithDisabilitiestoensurethattherightsandprioritiesofpeoplewithdisabilitiesareconsideredinlocaldecision-makingandservicedelivery.Havingrecentlyadoptedsocial
accountabilityasacoreapproach,VSOisinatransitionalphase.Moreeffortswillbemadetoensurethatsocialaccountabilityelementsareintegraltothedesignofourprogrammes.
resiLienCeResiliencemeansthecapacityofan
individual,populationgrouporsystemtoanticipate,absorb,andrecoverfromhazards,shocksandstresses.Thisincludestheimpactsofclimatechange.VSOidentifiedanumberofstresses
andshocksthathaveimpactedour
programmes,includingnaturaldisasters,conflictsandpoliticalinstability.TheseincludehealthstresseslikeEbolainSierraLeone,andtheongoingHIVandAIDSpandemicinZimbabweandacrossmuchofSouthernAfrica.Amongenvironmentalfactors,droughtishavingasignificantimpactonlivesandlivelihoodsincountriessuchasKenya,RwandaandUganda.InNepal,Pakistan,Malawiandthe
Philippines,VSOhasconsultedwithpeopledirectlyaffectedbypovertyandinequalitytoidentifythedifferentstressesandshocksfaced.Wealsohighlightgroupsofpeoplethatareespeciallyvulnerable,suchaspregnantwomen,peoplelivingwithHIVandruralsmallholderfarmers.OverthepastyearVSOprogrammes
havelearntandadaptedinresponsetoresilienceissues.InNepalwehaveworkedwithschoolmanagementcommitteesandparentteacherassociationstoensurethatdisastermanagementisacompulsorycomponentoftheeducationsystem.Inpost-EbolaSierraLeoneVSOissupportingtheMinistryofHealthtostrengthenhealthsystemcapacitytocopewithfutureshocks.Meanwhile,VSOMalawiisstrengtheningclimatechangeadaptationthroughreforestation,soilconservationandcultivationofdrought-tolerantcropvarieties.
Through our Social Accountability work VSO is supporting a Teenage Mothers School in Sierra Leone, helping young mothers like Fatama get an education and build a better future for herself and her daughter.
gLoBaL prograMMesCore approaches
Dr Padma, GP, is the first international volunteer back in Sierra Leone after the Ebola endemic was declared over. She is building up the knowledge of local healthcare workers so that the hospital remains a trusted place of healthcare.
These three core approaches underpin everything VSO does as an organisation.
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VSO’sambitionistoinfluenceandleadthedevelopmentandvolunteeringsectortoadoptpracticesthatpromoteimpactfulandresponsiblevolunteering.Thiscanonlybedoneincollaborationwithothersandbyleadingbyexample.InThailand,VSOhashelpedtoinfluence
theGovernment’snationalstrategyonvolunteering,withapolicyannouncedlastyearandhigh-levelcommitmentstovolunteering.AlongsideVSO’snationalpartner,theVolunteerSpiritNetwork,whichworkswithover30,000nationalvolunteers,VSOhashelpedsecurethefirstnationalvolunteercentresupportedbythegovernment.ThiswillhelptobettercoordinatevolunteeringeffortsinThailand.Duringthenegotiationsaroundthe
SustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs),VSObroughtthevoicesofourvolunteersandpartnerstotheheartofdiscussionsattheUN.Asglobalgovernmentssettheir
plansforhowtheywillimplementthisnewagenda,wehaveensuredthatthevoicesandexperiencesofthecommunitiesweworkwithcontinuetobeheard.Forexample,inKenyaVSOisrunningcommunitydialoguessupportedbyyouthvolunteerstocontributetonationalplansforimplementingtheSDGs.
voLUnteer, WHerever yoU are FroMVSOiscommittedtoenablinganyone
withtherightattitudetovolunteer.WorkinginpartnershipwithothervolunteeringfordevelopmentagenciesacrossEurope,ourIVO4Allprojecthasbeenmakinginternationalvolunteeringmoreaccessibleforyoungpeoplewhowouldn’tnormallyhavethatopportunity.UKvolunteer,Senara,workedonanICS
projectinNepaltoimproveeducationandsanitationforchildreninruralareas–buildingherskills,experienceand
confidence:“BeforeIevensteppedfootinNepal,Ihadgottenovercertainfearsandanxieties,andhadexperiencedthingsthatwouldneverhavebeenpossibleifitweren’tforICS.”In2017,we’llbeworkingcloselywithour
IVO4AllpartnerstoinfluencepolicyacrossEurope.We’realsocontinuingtoworkwiththeUKGovernment,tofurtherreducethebarriersfacingyoungpeoplefromlessaffluentbackgroundstakingpartinICS.
Deepening UnDerstanDing oF tHe roLe oF voLUnteeringAsanactivememberoftheInternational
VolunteerCooperationOrganisations(IVCO),ourstaffandvolunteershelpedtoshapethedebateattheannualconference.Civilsociety,governments,UNbodies,academiaandtheprivatesectorfrom35countriescametogethertodiscusstherolevolunteersplayincreatingamorejustandsustainableworld.Attendeesbenefitedfromhearingthe
experiencesoftwoinspirationalnationalyouthVSOvolunteers:GregoryOkonofuafromNigeriaandTanginaMehnazfromBangladesh.Tanginakickedofftheconferencewith
apowerfulspeechaboutwhatresiliencemeanstoher,saying,“IfIwasn’tresilientIwouldn’tbeheretoday,Iwouldbemarried
withchildreninBangladesh.”Gregorycontributedtoapanelsession
abouthowwecancreatealastingimpact:“Communityvolunteeringneedscollaborationandknowledgesharing,socommunitymembersbecomemoreaccountablefortheissuestheyface.Ibelievevolunteeringholdsthekeythatcanunlocksomanydoorsofpositivechange.”We’llusetheIVCO2016CalltoActiontofurtherinformVSO’sapproachtovolunteeringfordevelopment,andwewillbereflectingonhowwecanbestcommunicateourworkaroundresilienceasacoreapproach.
WorKing in CoLLaBorationInDecember2016,VSOsignedaformal
agreementwiththeCommissionoftheAfricanUnion(AU).Thisagreementrepresentsahigh-levelcommitmentbytheAfricanUniontointegratevolunteeringintoitspeaceanddevelopmentwork.TheAUwillbedevelopingtwoimportant
policydocumentsduring2017:aten-yearactionplantopromotehumanrights,andanactionplantorealisethebenefitsofAfrica’slargeyouthpopulation.VSOwillplayanimportantroleinensuringthatthevoicesoftheimpoverishedandmarginalisedpeoplewithwhomitworksarerepresented.
Youth policy makers, practitioners and the ICS consortium came together for the IVO4All conference in London to discuss how to create a more inclusive and accessible approach to youth volunteering.
gLoBaL LeaDersHip
VSO is committed to enabling anyone with the right attitude to volunteer.
VSO National Volunteers Tangina Mehnaz (right) from Bangladesh and Gregory Okonofua (left) from Nigeria at the IVCO 2016 conference in Bonn, Germany.
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In November 2016 VSO volunteers and staff gathered in London for our first ever Volunteer Awards. The evening celebrating the work of our dedicated volunteers who have gone above and beyond to help change the lives of those most in need.
gLoBaL engageMent
GlobalengagementiscoretoVSO’sPeopleFirststrategy.Since1958,we’veworkedwithvolunteersfromallovertheworld.We’vegrownourworkwithyoungpeople,nationalvolunteersandcommunityvolunteers.Andwefocusontheparticipationofthosedirectlyaffectedbypovertyandinequality.Ourambitionistomobiliseandengage
activecitizensacrosstheworldtoplayavitalroleindeliveringtheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs).
Our People First strategy will allow VSO to:•Createspaceforthosemostaffectedbypovertyandexclusiontoadvocateforandenactchangesintheirownlivesandcommunities
•Helpourglobalnetworktounderstand,engagewith,andactinsupportoftheSDGs
•Developmulti-sectorpartnershipstoinspirepeopleandtheirinstitutionsintoactivesupportfor“aworldwithoutpoverty”.
vso’s gLoBaL netWorKManyofourvolunteersstayconnected
withVSOforalongtime,inmanydifferentways.Somevolunteeragain,othersfundraiseanddonate.Increasingly,theyadviseonthedesign,deliveryandevaluationofVSO’sprogrammes.Thispassionateglobalnetworkremains
connectedtoVSObecausetheycareaboutendingpovertyandinequality.BeingaVSOvolunteerisnotanexperiencethatendswiththejourneyhome.
There were some wonderful examples of that this year from VSO’s country offices:•VSOIndiaaskedaformervolunteer,SayaniBasu,totestnewfundraisingapproaches.Asaresult,Sayanihasdevelopedacrowdfundingmodeltofundalocallydevelopedprojectfortheeducationofblindchildren
•IbrahimKamara,aformerICSvolunteer,carriedoutfieldworkinhishomecountryofSierraLeoneintotheeffectEbolahadon
womenaccessingmaternalhealthservices.•InBangladesh,volunteersinterviewedruralfarmingcommunitiestoproduceaground-breakinganalysisofsocialexclusionandgenderdynamics.
vso voLUnteer aWarDsLastyear,VSOhelditsfirstannualVSO
VolunteerAwards.TheseawardscelebratethebestinVSO’svolunteeringapproach,whetherthroughprofessionalvolunteersorthroughICS;actingasindividualsorpartofateam;rightacrosstheworld.Whileourwinnerswereextremelydiverse,
whattheyhadincommonwasanincrediblecommitmentandaconnectiontoVSO’smissionofendingpovertyandinequality.
Our winners included:•JudithandSimonHill,internationalvolunteersoftheyearwhoturneddownrepatriationtosupportthedisasterandrebuildingeffortintheaftermathoftheApril2015Nepalearthquake
•MaryamMasood,anationalvolunteerfromPakistan,whoseworkincludedadvocatingtheprotectionofwomenfromdomesticviolence
•Syngenta’scorporateteamwontheteamawardforwhattheyachievedwiththeGrowingTogetherprojectinBangladesh.
iMpaCt BeyonD voLUnteeringInMarch,VSOpublishedourImpact
beyondVolunteeringresearch,onhowtheexperienceofvolunteeringcreateslastingchangeinVSOvolunteersthemselves,affectingtheirbehaviourandcareerchoices,andinfluencingothers.Thestudy,availableontheVSO
website,showsthatpeoplewhohavevolunteeredwithVSOtendtobehaveandactdifferentlyasaresultoftheirexperiences.Itshowsthreemainkindsofimpact:socialactionandinfluence,careerandgoals,andchangedpractices.Morethanthreequarters(77%),
reportchangesintheirlevelofsocialactionaftervolunteering.Overathirdofvolunteerscontinuetosupportindividualsorgroupswithwhomtheyworkedwithduringtheirplacement.Manyreportedbeingmoreconfident,resilientandadaptable.Otherimpactsincludeformervolunteersexpandingtheirskillsandknowledge.BeingaVSOvolunteercannot
onlyhaveasignificantandlastingimpactinsomeoftheworld’spoorestcommunities–itcanalsohaveasignificantandlastingimpactonthevolunteersthemselves.
Since 1958, we’ve worked with volunteers from all over the world.
Ibraham Kamara, 28, ICS Alumni who helped VSO during the Ebola crisis by conducting research in his home country of Sierra Leone.
TofindoutmoreaboutourImpactBeyondVolunteeringresearch,pleasevisitwww.vsointernational.org/evaluationsi
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AtVSO,webelievethatprogressisonlypossiblebyworkingtogether.Thousandsofpeoplewhowanttoseeanendtoglobalpovertyandinjusticearetakingactionstosupportus.Couldyoujointhem?
voLUnteer in DeveLoping CoUntriesVSOsupportedover7,237peopletovolunteeraspartofprogrammesreducingpovertylastyear.Wehaveopportunitiesforprofessionals,youngpeopleandcorporateemployeestovolunteer
aroundtheworldonawiderangeofplacements.Findoutmoreatvsointernational.org/volunteering
sUpport Us WitH a regULar DonationWedependmorethaneveronpublicsupporttobeabletotransformlivesintheworld’smost
disadvantagedcommunities.Pleaseconsidersupportingus–just£5amonthcouldmakeahugedifference.Donatetodayatvsointernational.org/make-donation3
partner WitH UsPartnershipslieattherootofallthepositivetransformationthatwecreate.Together,weworkon
programmedevelopmentanddelivery,research,advocacyandfundraising.Wepartnerwithinstitutions,privatephilanthropists,trustsandfoundations,privatesectorbusinessesand
communitygroupswhoshareourvisionofaworldwithoutpoverty.Tofindoutmorecontactpartnerships@vsoint.org
reMeMBer Us in yoUr WiLLOneday,agiftinyourWillcouldchangetheworld.Leavealastinglegacytothepeoplewhoneedit
HoW yoU Can sUpport Us
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Local teacher Shila Dhakal donates her spare time to talk to children in the local community in Lamjung, Nepal, about school and earthquake preparedness.
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HoW We raise oUr Money
Income for the year totalled £78 million.
Individualgiving8%
Companies6%
Eventsandcommunity5%
Othergrantsanddonations5%
Othercharitableincome3%
governmental income:DFIDStrategicGrant26%
governmental income:ICS32%
governmental income: other15%
ICSconsortiumpartners(contract)25%
Education28%
Health14%
Livelihoods19%
Coreapproaches6%
Generatingfunds8%
HoW We spenD oUr Money
Total expenditure for the year was £76 million.
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Ourworkwouldnotbepossiblewithoutthesupportanddedicationofmanypeople,partnersandorganisations.Fromthevolunteerswhogiveuptheirtimeandsalariestoworkinourprogrammesaroundtheworld,totheindividualswhochoosetoleaveagiftintheirwillandthestaff,supporters,andfundraiserswhoworktirelesslyonourbehalf.
Here are just some of the organisations and individuals who have made a vital contribution to VSO’s work:
Accenture
AUSAID
BGTanzania
BhartiInfratel
BigLotteryFund
BritishCouncil
Cadbury-Schweppes
Citi
ComicRelief
Cuso
DepartmentforInternationalDevelopment,UK
DepartmentofEducation,PNG
DepartmentofForeignAffairsandTrade,Australia
EuropeanUnion
FaroeIslandsGovernment
FHI360
GREATBritainCampaign
GregDykeandSueHowes
GuernseyOverseasAidCommission
HumanDevelopmentInnovationFund
IBM
IrishAid
Jhpiego
MannionDaniels
MastercardFoundation
MedicorFoundation
Mondelez
MottMacdonald
MrandMrsErrolPereira
NewVentureFund
NORAD
OilSearchFoundation
PalladiumInternationalLtd
PestalozziPCF
PharoFoundation
ProvincialCapacityBuildingProject
RandstadGlobalPartnership
RoyalNorwegianEmbassy
ScottishGovernment
Shell
SintAntoniusStichting
StavrosNiarchosFoundation
SueandGregDyke
SwedishInternationalDevelopmentAgency
SwissDevelopmentCorporation
Syngenta
TheAdrianandJaneFrostCharitableTrust
TheGrocers’Charity
TheKilwaughterChemicalCompanyLtd
TheKirbyLaingFoundation
TheMillionHoursFund
TheSwireCharitableTrust
TheZochonisCharitableTrust
UNICEF
USAID
Vodafone
WaterAid
WeeshuisDerDoopsgezinden
ZVMRangoonwalaFoundation
ZochonisCharitableTrust
tHanK yoU
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if you would like to know more about vso’s work worldwide, visit www.vsointernational.org
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