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Overseas VolunteersAustralian volunteers play a vital role in the fight against poverty. The Australian Government has provided support to Australian volunteers overseas since the 1960s. Since then, over 11,400 volunteers have been placed overseas with Government funding. These programs match Australians with organisations in developing countries needing support in particular areas of expertise. Volunteer placements are made with public and private sector, non-government and civil society organisations and educational institutions, in priority areas identified by partner countries and AusAID country program strategies. Become an Australian PartnerTo encourage greater community involvement, Australian organisations, be they government departments, educational institutions, NGOs or private sector enterprises, can become an Australian Partner. Australian Partners may already have, or want to develop a relationship with organisations in eligible countries. Working with the Volunteer Service Providers (VSP), Australian Partners can develop an appropriate assignment with an overseas organisation linked to their organisation's skills and knowledge base to expand their networks in the eligible country. Australian Partners can nominate an appropriately qualified candidate to undertake the assignment or the VSP can source a suitable candidate on the Australian Partners behalf. What are the roles and responsibilities of a host organisation?Hosting a volunteer requires a commitment from your organisation and brings with it the responsibility to provide adequate management and support to the volunteer. As a host you are expected to assist the volunteer to achieve the objectives of their assignment. This includes:
Host organisations are encouraged to provide assistance with accommodation and allowances where possible. For further information see Information and Advice for Host Organisations in Partner Countries [PDF 193KB] Volunteer organisations and programs supported by the Australian GovernmentWhile AusAID is unable to directly assist people interested in volunteer work placements, we do encourage those interested to contact the following organisations for further information on how to make a contribution as a volunteer. Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development ProgramOne of the Australian Government's most popular initiatives is the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development volunteer program for young Australians aged 18-30. The program places skilled young Australian volunteers on short-term assignments of between 3-12 months, in developing countries throughout the Asia Pacific region. The program offers young people a wonderful opportunity to contribute to development while at the same time learning about other cultures. Priority sectors for the program are health, education, governance, rural development, environment and infrastructure. Contact:1/41 Dequetteville Terrace Full program details are available on the AYAD Program website [external website] Australian Business Volunteers (ABV)Australian Business Volunteers' approach to poverty reduction and sustainable growth is to strengthening the private sector which is seen as the engine of development. Volunteers with ABV are mature, qualified and experienced Australians who possess skills in a wide variety of fields. They are professionals, business and trades people. Through sharing their work skills and sound governance practices, ABV volunteers help build capacity and sustainability of micro, small and medium-sized businesses. Each year ABV undertakes between 200 and 300 short-term assignments (1 - 3 months). ABV has a continuous volunteer recruitment and dispatch procedure enabling rapid response to clients' needs. Pacific - Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu Asia -Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand (regional assignments only), Vietnam Contact:FECCA House Australian Volunteers InternationalAustralian Volunteers International (AVI) recruits, prepares and supports Australian volunteers who live and work in developing communities. As an international volunteer sending agency supported by AusAID, AVI and its volunteers are committed to achieving long term development, poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods. AVI works with partner organisations in host communities to ensure that placements respond to locally-identified needs. Volunteers are skilled professionals from the education, health, community development, finance, IT, communications, rural development, trade and engineering sectors. AVI provides short and long-term volunteer placements in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Pacific - Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu Asia -Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand (regional assignments only), Vietnam Africa & Middle East - Afghanistan, Lebanon (Palestinian refugees), Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Palestinian Territories, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe Contact:71 Argyle Street Volunteering for International Development from AustraliaVolunteering for International Development from Australia (VIDA) is a program that enables Australian citizens and permanent residents aged 18 and over to undertake volunteer assignments in Asia and the Pacific to make a tangible contribution to sustainable development in host countries. The program provides pre-departure training, in-country support and post-return debriefing to volunteers undertaking development assignments lasting between 1 and 36 months. As part of the Australian Government's overseas volunteer and international aid programs, VIDA, in cooperation with partner organisations, aims to assist developing countries to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development through skills transfer, institutional strengthening and capacity building. Pacific - Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu Asia - Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand (regional assignments only), Vietnam Contact1/41 Dequetteville Terrace * Countries to which volunteers are sent change according to Government priorities. See also:
Above: Senta Bilong Helpim bus and volunteers (Photo: Rocky Roe); Dr. Andrew Burke (Photo: Mathias Heng); Jack McGilchrist (Photo: Peter Davis); Andrew Yong (Photo: Lorrie Graham). To view files marked PDF you need Acrobat Reader, available as a free download (see also the 'About this website' link below). 2007
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