CUSO-VSO

The Organization

Several of you have asked questions about the non-profit organization that is sending me to Kenya. CUSO-VSO is simply the North American arm of VSO (Volunteer Services Overseas). It has only recently opened up to Americans so that may be why many of you haven't heard of it before.

I chose VSO for several reasons but mostly because I really like their approach to development as it focuses on capacity building and sustainability. For example, rather than sending a volunteer to teach students they send a volunteer with an advanced degree and years of experience to teach the teachers how to teach the students more effectively. In this way they are not just sharing knowledge but building the capacity of the schools to teach students and hopefully creating a sustainable body of knowledge that will keep on giving after that volunteer is gone.

Here is a clip from their website:

Our volunteers work on long-term, sustainable solutions. CUSO-VSO is not an emergency aid agency. As a member of VSO International, we work with developing world organizations and governments to identify areas of greatest need, and then collaboratively develop strategic volunteer positions. We place volunteers from both the developed and developing world.

The Volunteers

VSO recruits volunteers from all over including Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Also, they cover all reasonable volunteer expenses including plan tickets, living expenses, and vaccinations. If you would like to make a donation to help cover these costs for my placement please go to their website.

VSO has been a really great organization to work with and I have been impressed with the amount of screening and training each volunteer receives. So far I would highly recommend the organization as a group to volunteer with and/or donate to. If anyone is thinking about doing some international volunteering please check out their website and ask me any questions you have.

That said, it is not easy to get into. They take only 200 or so people from North America each year and they are looking for people who already have degrees and professional experience and who will adapt quickly to new cultures. The screening process is extensive and you have to get through several stages and they get progressively more and more competitive. I had to submit an online application, then I had a phone interview, then I was invited to attend an assessment day in Vancouver, then I was accepted as a volunteer!

After that you go to two separate 4-day weekend training sessions in Ottawa. One shortly after you are accepted and one shortly before you leave. Since my placement came up 2 days after I was accepted I had to do these trainings back to back and that's why I was in Ottawa for 2 weeks last month. Once I get to Kenya I'll have some in-country training in Nairobi so by the time I finally get there I should be decently prepared...other than knowing Swahili well.