Blogs

Want to know firsthand what it's like to volunteer with VSO? Why not read the blogs of some of our current volunteers. They provide a unique insight to the life and experiences of a VSO volunteer. To read the blogs, click on the volunteer name or select a country, skill or goal area from the drop-down list below.

VSO is not responsible for the content of the blogs. The opinions expressed in the blogs do not necessarily reflect the view of VSO. 

Ruairí O'Heithir (Rwanda - Education)

Ruairí O'Heithir

Rwanda
Education
Tom Collins (Cameroon - Participation and governance)

Tom Collins

Cameroon
Participation and governance
Susan Somers (Namibia - Education)

Susan Somers

Namibia
Education
Paul O'Keefe (Thailand-Burma)

Paul O'Keefe

Thailand-Burma
Participation and governance
Mary Knox (Cambodia - Education)

Mary Knox

Cambodia
Education
Marie Fahy (Kenya - Disability)

Marie Fahy

Kenya
Disability
Mark Henderson

Mark Henderson

Indonesia
Health

Jen Ryan

India
Participation and governance
Grahame Cleary (Cameroon - Education)

Grahame Cleary

Cameroon
Education

Frances Hayden

Kenya
HIV and AIDS
Emma Donovan (Kenya - HIV and AIDS)

Emma Donovan

Kenya
HIV and AIDS

Colm Halley

Kenya
HIV and AIDS
Victor Blandon (El Salvador - Secure livelihoods)

Victor Blandon

El Salvador
Secure livelihoods
Heather Sanders (Nigeria - Education)

Heather Saunders

Nigeria
Education
Sarah Oakes

Sarah Oakes

Indonesia
Secure livelihoods
Banke Adetayo (Sierra Leone)

Banke Adetayo

Sierra Leone
Health
Lucy Otto (Vietnam - Disability)

Lucy Otto

Vietnam
Disability
Pam Kerruish

Pam Kerruish

Tajikistan
Health
Susie Price

Susie Price

India
Participation and governance
Ashtin Doorgakant

Ashtin Doorgakant

Malawi
Health
Heather Fara (Mongolia - Secure livelihoods)

Heather Fara

Mongolia
Secure livelihoods
Sarah Galvin (Cambodia - Education)

Sarah Galvin

Cambodia
Education
Robert Ripley (Uganda - Health)

Robert Ripley

Uganda
Health
Sherry Stevenson (Cameroon - Participation and governance)

Sherry Stevenson

Cameroon
Participation and governance
Shane Stevenson (Tajikistan)

Shane Stevenson

Tajikistan
Secure livelihoods
Serge Doucet (Cameroon - Participation and governance)

Serge Doucet

Cameroon
Participation and governance
Rosalind Bellamy (Cameroon - Participation and governance)

Rosalind Bellamy

Cameroon
Participation and governance
Paul Sills (The Gambia - Education)

Paul Sills

The Gambia
Education
Nikki McKeag (Malawi - Health)

Nikki McKeag

Malawi
Health
Nancy Shamban (Sri Lanka - Health)

Nancy Shamban

Sri Lanka
Health
Kanti Akhtar (The Gambia - Education)

Kanti Akhtar

The Gambia
Education
Ian Smith (Uganda - Participation and governance)

Ian Smith

Uganda
Participation and governance
Emily Bullock (Nigeria - Secure livelihoods)

Emily Bullock

Nigeria
Secure livelihoods
David and Ginette Johnstone (Cameroon - Participation and governance)

David and Ginette Johnstone

Cameroon
Participation and governance
Clara Sheaf (Cameroon - Education)

Clara Sheaf

Cameroon
Education
Charley Bolding-Smith (Vietnam - Disability)

Charley Bolding-Smith

Vietnam
Disability
Catherine Dupre (Mongolia - Health)

Catherine Dupre

Mongolia
Health
Annemiek Miller (Rwanda - Education)

Annemiek Miller

Rwanda
Education
Anna Maceachern (Rwanda - Education)

Anna Maceachern

Rwanda
Education
Adam Krus-Thom (Ethiopia)

Adam Krusi-Thom

Ethiopia
Education
Alan Mercer (Ethiopia - Participation and governance)

Alan Mercer and Sarah Hassen

Ethiopia
Participation and governance
Tom Feinson (Zambia - HIV and AIDS)

Tom Feinson

Zambia
HIV and AIDS
Tracy Davyduke (Malawi - Health)

Tracey Davyduke

Malawi
Health
Tina Williams (Zambia - Participation and governance)

Tina Williams

Zambia
Participation and governance

Tom and Patricia Wilson

The Gambia
Education
Tina Piddu (China - Education)

Tina Puddu

China
Education
Tiffany Purn (Nepal - Participation and governance)

Tiffany Purn

Nepal
Participation and governance
Thérèse Larivière (Burkina Faso - Participation and governance)

Thérèse Larivière

Burkina Faso
Participation and governance

Thea Lacey

Uganda
Participation and governance

Tara Sleggs

Ethiopia
Education

Tali Alexander

Kenya
Disability

Susanne Newson

Cambodia
Health
Suzanne Hardy (Indonesia - Health)

Suzanne Hardy

Indonesia
Health

Sue Piché and Ghys Plamondon

Cameroon
Education
Stephen Massey and Melanie Gould (Nepal - Education)

Stephen Massey and Melanie Gould

Nepal
Education

Sheila Ash

India
Participation and governance

Shala Grindlay

Rwanda
Education
Sarah Washington

Sarah Washington

Zambia
Secure livelihoods

Sarah Wragg

Rwanda
Education

Sarah Henderson

Mongolia
Education

Sarah Togher

Sri Lanka
Health

Sally Mitchell

Namibia
Education
Rosa Bransky (Bangladesh - HIV and AIDS)

Rosa Bransky

Bangladesh
HIV and AIDS

Richard Norman

Nigeria
Education
Rhona and Bobby Hogg (Uganda - Health)

Rhona and Bobby Hogg

Uganda
Health

Rebecca Young

Rwanda
Education

Rebecca Boyce

Cameroon
Education

Raquel Coelho

Guyana
Education

Pete Cheer

Kenya
Disability

Phil Bradfield

The Gambia
Education

Paul Stanley

Ethiopia
Education

Paul Williams

Uganda
Participation and governance

Pat Johnson

Ghana
Education
Oly Shipp (Cambodia - Health)

Oly Shipp

Cambodia
Health

Oliver Scalon

Bangladesh
Participation and governance
Nina Cowley (Mongolia - Secure livelihoods)

Nina Cowley

Mongolia
Secure livelihoods
Nikki Mellor (India - Disability)

Nikki Mellor

India
Disability

Nic Clark and Vanessa Hill

Rwanda
Disability
Muriel Russell (Malawi - HIV and AIDS)

Muriel Russell

Malawi
HIV and AIDS
Nathalie Chenel (Burkina Faso - HIV and AIDS)

Nathalie Chenel

Burkina Faso
HIV and AIDS

Nancy Towers

Ethiopia
Health

Mischa Foxell

Cameroon
Education

Mike Chart

Ethiopia
Education

Michael Rosenkrantz

India
Disability

Michelle Brosseau Nestor

Burkina Faso
Participation and governance

Michelle Currie

Ghana
Education

Melissa Hipkins

Rwanda
Education

Mia Huengsberg

Tanzania
HIV and AIDS
Maro McNab (Sierra Leone - HIV and AIDS)

Maro McNab

Sierra Leone
HIV and AIDS
Marlize Palmer (Namibia - Secure livelihoods)

Marlize Palmer

Namibia
Secure livelihoods
Megan Gaventa (Bangladesh - Participation and governance)

Megan Gaventa

Bangladesh
Participation and governance
Mark Takefman

Mark Takefman

India
Disability

Mark Malhotra

Jamaica
Participation and governance
Maria Wedlock (Namibia - Education)

Maria Wedlock

Namibia
Education

Lucy Harlow

India
Disability

Lizzy Gurevitch

Cameroon
Education

Lisa Walton

Bangladesh
Secure livelihoods

Laura Hawkesford

Bangladesh
Participation and governance
Kirsten Gould (China - Education)

Kirsten Gould

China
Education

Lena Dietz

Bangladesh
Participation and governance
Kate Walters (The Gambia - Education)

Kate Walters

The Gambia
Education
Kevin Brown (Tanzania - Education)

Kevin Brown

Tanzania
Education

Kate Stevens

Guyana
Education
Josephine Whitaker

Josephine Whitaker

Bangladesh
Participation and governance

Jude Timothy

Ghana
Education

John Mellor

Indonesia
Health
Joanne Barabich (Ghana - Education)

Joanne Barabich

Ghana
Education
Joanna Cairns (Ethiopia - Education)

Joanne Cairns

Ethiopia
Education

Joanna Griffin

Ethiopia
Health
Jerry Merz (Zambia - Secure livelihoods)

Jerry Merz

Zambia
Secure livelihoods
Jennifer Smith (India - Disability)

Jen Smith

India
Disability
Jen Byram

Jen Byram

Nigeria
Secure livelihoods
Jennifer Parsons (Cambodia - Education)

Jen Parsons

Cambodia
Education
Jason Barugh and Anna Haynes (Uganda - Health)

Jason Barugh and Anna Haynes

Uganda
Health

Janet Morton and Keith Whitehouse

Cambodia
Education
Jacquie Brown (Jamaica - Participation and governance)

Jacquie Brown

Jamaica
Participation and governance
Ian Bromage (Vietnam - HIV and AIDS)

Ian Bromage

Vietnam
HIV and AIDS

Helen Putnam

Nepal
Participation and governance
Hilary Williams (India - Participation and governance)

Hilary Williams

India
Participation and governance
Linda and Haydn Powell (Ghana - Education)

Haydn and Linda Powell

Ghana
Education
Hannah Horsley (Uganda - Disability)

Hannah Horsley

Uganda
Disability
Glenn Dodge

Glenn Dodge

Bangladesh
HIV and AIDS
Gord Clements (Nepal - HIV and AIDS)

Gordon Clements

Nepal
HIV and AIDS
Geoff and Sabina Slide (Uganda - Disability)

Geoff and Sabina Slide

Uganda
Disability
Gabriel Robichaud (Burkina Faso - HIV and AIDS)

Gabriel Robichaud

Burkina Faso
HIV and AIDS
Eve Lavigne (Burkina Faso - HIV and AIDS)

Eve Lavigne and Simon Cloutier-Gagné

Burkina Faso
HIV and AIDS

Farah Urdelas

Kenya
Disability
Fermin Taruc (Zambia - Participation and governance)

Fermin Taruc

Zambia
Participation and governance
Estelle Visagie (Bangladesh - Participation and governance)

Estelle Visagie

Bangladesh
Participation and governance
Erin Bresnan

Erin Bresnan

Kenya
HIV and AIDS

Elizabeth Tubbs

Kenya
Disability
Doris Tessier and Marcel Couture (Cameroon - HIV and AIDS)

Dorris Tessier and Marcel Couture

Cameroon
HIV and AIDS

Dave Cutting

Namibia
HIV and AIDS
Derek and Trudy Lovell (Guyana - Education)

Derek and Trudy Lovell

Guyana
Education

Daniel Garvey

The Gambia
Education

Dan Hunnisett

Guyana
Education

Dan & Helen Satterthwaite

Zambia
Secure livelihoods

Corey and Gina Grone

India
HIV and AIDS
Christine Sencal (Rwanda - Education)

Christine Senecal

Rwanda
Education
Cicely Brown (Nigeria - Secure livelihoods)

Cicely Brown

Nigeria
Secure livelihoods
Chris Allapat (The Gambia - Disability)

Chris and Melanie Alappat

The Gambia
Disability
Chris Guinness (Mongolia - Health)

Chris Guinness

Mongolia
Health
Charlye Ramsey (Papua New Guinea - Disability)

Charlye Ramsey

Papua New Guinea
Disability
Charlotte Cashman (Ghana - Education)

Charlotte Cashman

Ghana
Education
Charlotte Beauvoisin

Charlotte Beauvoisin

Uganda
Participation and governance

Charlotte Harman

Cambodia
Education

Cathy Byrne

Rwanda
Education
Catherine Aliling Shih (Cameroon - Health)

Catherine Shih

Cameroon
HIV and AIDS
Carol Cole (Cambodia - Health)

Carol Cole

Cambodia
Health
Caroline and Greg Spira (Cambodia - HIV and AIDS)

Caroline and Greg Spira

Cameroon
HIV and AIDS
Cameron Douglas (Namibia - Education)

Cameron Douglas

Namibia
Education
Carol and Joe Burns (Sri Lanka - Disability)

Carol and Joe Burns

Sri Lanka
Disability
Camille Stabler

Camille Stabler

Mozambique
Secure livelihoods

Brian Wheeler

Kenya
HIV and AIDS

Beatriz Pujol

Kenya
Disability

Brian Davies

Bangladesh
Participation and governance

Anouck Bronée

India
Participation and governance
AnnMarie MacKenzie (India)

AnnMarie MacKenzie

India
Disability

Arin Babakhani

Ethiopia
HIV and AIDS

Anne and Andy Joyce

Namibia
HIV and AIDS

Amanda Talbot

Nepal
Participation and governance

Andrew Haynes

The Gambia
Education

Anja Merret

Vietnam
Disability
The Cowans

Alison Cowan

Uganda
Health
Alison Durrant (Cambodia - Health)

Alison Durrant

Cambodia
Health

Alice Gwyn

Namibia
HIV and AIDS
Alan Orth (Kenya - Secure livelihoods)

Alan Orth

Kenya
Secure livelihoods
Alex Mayers (The Philippines - Participation and governance)

Alex Mayers

The Philippines
Participation and governance

Alex Little

Ethiopia
Education
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