VSO in a nutshell

VSO is a very well established international development charity, which has been sending volunteers to developing world countries for over 50 years. VSO's vision is a world without poverty, and one of the core values underpinning the work of VSO is that people are the best agents of change. Rather than sending food or money, VSO sends women and men with skills and experience to live in local communities and work in partnership with local colleagues, helping to drive positive change from the ground up.
VSO currently works in over 40 countries, and focuses its work in six goal areas:

• Disability
• Education
• Health and Social Wellbeing
• HIV and AIDS
• Participation and Governance
• Secure Livelihoods

To find out more about the work of VSO, you can visit the international and the UK websites.

My placement is part of the VSO Thailand/Burma Education Programme. My job title is Early Childhood Development Adviser, and I will be working with a number of schools in the border area with Burma, with the aim of improving access to and quality of education for children aged 3-8, who come largely from Burmese migrant communities. That's the theory. Exactly what it will look like in practice I will find out when I get there!