Diaspora volunteering

Alongside our established international volunteering programmes, VSO supports diaspora communities who contribute to international development and the fight against poverty through volunteering. Diaspora volunteers share their skills and commitment in their countries or continents of heritage.

We work in partnership with UK-based diaspora organisations, sharing our experience of international volunteering to support them in developing their own volunteering programmes.

Diaspora individuals can apply to volunteer on VSO's programmes, but can also find suitable placements with diaspora organisations.

Evolution and expansion of the programme

From September 2005 to March 2008, we worked directly with 18 diaspora organisations to develop international volunteering programmes sending 269 diaspora volunteers to countries in Asia and Africa. In the same period, the demand from diaspora organisations for support grew from 29 to over 50.

In March 2008, Department for International Development (DFID) assigned £3 million (over three years) to support and develop an initiative to encourage people from diaspora communities to volunteer to help fight poverty in developing countries.

DFID diaspora programme

Due to our success in supporting diaspora communities in volunteering and development we now manage the DFID Diaspora Programme. This programme will allow diaspora organisations to build on their own voluntary programmes aimed at bringing real practical changes to poor communities.

Diaspora Volunteering Alliance

We have also helped to establish the Diaspora Volunteering Alliance (DVA). The DVA is a group of diaspora organisations that agree on shared values and objectives, explore different perspectives of volunteering and development, share experiences, skills and knowledge, take collective decisions, and engage with issues of migration and development.

Other funding

With funding from Big Lottery Fund’s BASIS (England) programme we are able to increase the support we offer diaspora organisations in building core skills such as strategic planning, volunteer management, fundraising and organisational development. In April 2008 we received a grant from Big Lottery Fund that will provide funding for five years Supported by The National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund. .

Downloads

Diaspora Volunteering brochure (502KB)

Who are the diaspora?

We recognises that what is, or who are the diaspora, is very much a contested concept. As a working definition, features of diaspora groups include:

self-definition – those who see themselves as part of the diaspora. Diaspora is not synonymous with being black or an ethnic minority, as people who are in this group do not see themselves as diaspora. Also some diaspora are not visible minorities (for example, white South Africans)
de-territoriality – those who have current or distant origins in a country other than the UK
homogeneity – they must be a group or organisation not individuals. However the group is again not synonymous with race or ethnicity for example, you can have Asian diaspora from East Africa
hybridity – those who have emotional, family or financial links with country or continent of origin.

Find out more

Bola Ojo, education manager, Rwanda

Giving something back to the community has been a life long passion for education manager Bola Ojo. Taking early retirement and volunteering with VSO International meant she could continue to contribute to the community – but this time internationally. She opted for a 12-week volunteer placement in Rwanda. At the same time as sharing valuable teaching and management skills that will help to improve standards in 126 local schools, she helped lay the foundations for a long-term volunteer to take her crucial work even further.

Diaspora volunteer shares skills across continents

The African Development Association for Progress (ADAP) is just one of the Diaspora organisations in the UK that VSO supports to run their own volunteering programmes and raise awareness of global issues. ADAP volunteer Mariama Kamara spent one month in Ghana volunteering with local organisation Matthew 25 House. She’s now back in the UK, but her important work with them continues.