In the run-up to Rwanda a few friends (at least a couple of whom I know will be reading this) have expressed envy at my impending travels and have said they think it's a dead good idea.
Well, says I, you should try it for yourself!
So, as one of the final posts to be written in England, I shall devote it to explaining how to join VSO and go off to faraway lands so those who fancy it, either now or in a couple of years, can give it a go :)
VSO work in around 34 countries around the world, so you don't have to come to Africa - there's also India, China, Mongolia, Vietnam and a few others, all listed HERE.
Where you get to go may also depend on your skills, as each country has a quota of skilled workers and a strategy plan to work towards. It may not always be possible to get your first choice. You may also be spoiled for choice if your skills are in demand.
VSO run a couple of schemes for exchange students and young people (Youth for Development) which you might like to look at if you're aged between 18-25, they also have offices based in other countries such as Canada and Kenya. I'm going to explain the route for adult, British citizens - including Ireland, who do have their own office but send everyone to England for training. Contact details for offices HERE.
[NB 2013: Some of VSO's schemes have changed since I've been away. I think Youth for Development has been amalgamated into the main body of their volunteeringprogramme. However, if you are aged 18-25 check out THIS SECTION.]
The age range for adult volunteers is around 20-75 and the average age of a VSO volunteers is currently 40. A standard volunteer will go on a two-year placement, however there are opportunities to do short-term placements which may be between three months to a year. VSO take professional volunteers across a wide range of skills: Agriculture/Farming, Doctors/Nurses/Health Workers, Drama Specialists, Journalists, Social Workers, Engineers, Carpenters/Craft Workers, Project Managers, Youth Workers... if you work in a skilled area and have professional qualifications or enough experience, you may well find they have something for you. Even if you're not sure whether you qualify, you have nothing to lose by applying and finding out :)
The way to do this is to take the first step and apply online. You can write to them for an application/information pack, but this is perhaps the fastest and easiest way.
From this, they will assess your professional skills and whether or not you have the type of knowledge and experience that would suite a VSO placement. If your application is accepted, you will then be invited to an interview in London.
The application form is purely to assess your professional suitability. The interview is more about your psyche and how you work with others. It lasts a full day and involves one 45-60 minute one-on-one interview and a number of teamwork and decision-making exercises. Group size can vary from small (five in my case) to quite large (eight to twelve). You can claim travel expenses for the interview if you need them. You will also need to fill out a CRB disclosure form as all VSO volunteers have to have a criminal records check.
I blogged about my experience HERE. I won't pretend it's not a slightly daunting experience, but it can also be quite good fun. Just try and stay relaxed and be yourself, you need to know it's right for you as much as they need to know you're right for them. Out of the five people (including one couple and myself) at my interview, I have since met all but one at subsequent training events, so I know the majority of us made it :) They aren't looking for a saint, they're just looking for down-to-earth people.
About a week or two later you should get the decision. If you're successful it then depends on the need for your skills as to when you'll be leaving. I went through very quickly, and would have left three months after the interview if I hadn't had my MA to finish. This is because few people with sign language skills apply, and there's quite a few projects that require it. The average time can be anywhere between about 5-18 months. Five seems quite standard, 18 for people who have skills that are harder to find placements for. Some people also decline placement offers because they don't feel suited to them, this can also lengthen departure time.
Essentially, once you've passed the interview you're in the system and it should only be a matter of time before you're off - subject to a medical test and dental check-up. They give you the paperwork and you just book in with your local GP and dentist. Medical problems don't always mean you won't be going, so long as they are manageable, but some people find their departure can be delayed if something is found to be wrong. Someone I was on training with discovered at their medical that they had developed high blood pressure and had to get it stabilised before they could go, which caused a delay.
The next thing that you will need to do is to start getting your injections. You will be given a list of which to get, and you will need to organise having them done. Some, such as Yellow Fever, you may need to travel to a specialist clinic for. Others, like Rabies and Hepatitis B, you need three shots for and will need to start well in advance of leaving in order to get them all in. Most are free on the NHS but some, like Yellow Fever, Rabies and the oral Cholera vaccine, are not. In which case you keep all receipts and send them to the VSO medical unit, who will reimburse you straight to your bank account pretty quickly. Some countries, but not many, also insist on an HIV test. If you are going to a malaria-infected country you will also have to stock up on anti-malarials before you go, but VSO provide you with plenty of information as I'll explain.
Before you can leave on an assignment, you have to attend two compulsory training courses and may choose to do an optional one. All training is residential and currently conducted at Harborne Hall in Birmingham. It's quite a humbling thing to know that all British VSO volunteers pass through those doors at some point during pre-departure.
One thing VSO is very good at is training, and it's delivered by former, qualified, volunteers. The two that you will be required to go on are:
P2V (Preparing to Volunteer): This is a course that people go on even before they have a placement. When I went it was a pretty even mix of people who knew where they were going and those that didn't yet have a match. P2V is a three-day residential course that explores a number of issues which I discuss in the post above. It's a good preparatory introduction, and some people may even decide at that point that it's not for them. You should also get given a copy of the Traveller's Good Health Guide.
SKWID (Skills for Working in Development): is the second compulsory course you go on once you have your placement. It's a five-day one that explores many of the issues touched on in P2V in much more detail, and also includes a lot of help on how to facilitate learning and training within the workplace. Again, you get given a brilliant book, this one is the bible of training theory and practice with loads of ideas for development sessions. You are expected to deliver two brief training sessions during the week, but you receive tons of preparation and support. The course also includes a half-day Health & Safety workshop, which discusses questions and fears surrounding your placement as well as common problems like water safety, malaria etc.
In addition to these two, you may be offered other training courses such as the one I took on Training Skills.
Once your compulsory training is complete and you have medical clearance, you're all ready to go. VSO take care of your documentation, but at some point you will probably be asked to get parts photocopied and notarised, which you can do at a solicitor's.
The reason for going with VSO is basically the whole package. Many volunteering schemes will expect you to pay most of your way, including accommodation, food and flights. One of the problems with such schemes is that a number of them (though not all) are being run as tourism ventures. Sometimes the houses you are going out to build, in less discerning cases, have not been requested by local people but are being built simply to take money off Western tourists for the company running the initiative.
There are several big advantages to going with VSO. Firstly, their reputation is well established and respected, they work with governments and NGOs in countries to develop sustainable development goals - so you know the work you're doing is actually needed. Volunteers have access to an online database of information and resources, and VSO place huge importance on training (both pre-departure and in-country) as well as de-briefing on return. Financially, it's sustainable, as you earn a wage (equal to your colleagues in-country) and can claim both a pre-departure and arrival grant for buying equipment, covering expenses, and setting up your new home. There is also a re-settlement grant when you return to the UK, if you need it, similar to job-seekers allowance, dependent on your length of service. They also cover your National Insurance contributions whilst you are out of the country.
[NB 2013: Around the time I left VSO, the resettlement grant had been incorporated into monthly allowances, so check this when you join.]
In addition, they provide you with health and safety training before you go, a medical kit on arrival, and cover you for hospital treatment and repatriation if it comes to that. You also know that if political unrest should occur in the country that you go to, they will pull you out of there safely and efficiently.
For me, the big pull was sustainability and safety. I considered other forms of travel, such as a pay-your-way charity, and also TEFL. The first was impractical because I am already broke after my MA. The second did not make full use of the skills I have to offer. Both offered little in the way of training, medical, or personal safety. So far my experience with VSO has been incredibly positive, so we'll see where it goes from here. I'll keep you posted :)
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