Diaspora volunteering
CUSO-VSO helps link North American diaspora communities to their countries of birth or heritage through strategic volunteer placements and learning exchanges.
These initiatives provide needed expertise and help counter the effects of out-migration experienced by so many countries in the developing world. They also provide needed expertise and help counter the effects of out-migration experienced by so many countries of the South (aka the developing world.)
Diaspora communities often maintain a high level of engagement with their countries of origin. We are working with partners on a range of pilot projects that would match the skills and experience of select North American diaspora communities to under-resourced social sectors in their countries of heritage.
Current diaspora projects
Ethiopian diaspora
In 2008, CUSO-VSO, in partnership with the Association for Higher Education and Development (AHEAD) and VSO Ethiopia, began work on the Promoting Volunteering from within the Ethiopian Diaspora in Canada project.
AHEAD is an Ottawa-based non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating institutional capacity development in Ethiopia through mobilizing and channelling resources and expertise available within the Ethiopian diaspora in Canada. The partnership between AHEAD, CUSO-VSO and VSO Ethiopia is based upon commitment to shared development objectives and goals, including engaging diaspora communities as full-fledged partners in the fight against poverty in their home countries.
The 18-month pilot project, made possible with financial support from the International Development Research Center (IDRC), will assess the effectiveness of short-term diaspora volunteer assignments in promoting capacity building in Ethiopia. To that end, the three organizations will work closely to recruit, select, and train volunteers from the Ethiopian diaspora in Canada for placement in partner institutions in Ethiopia and document the experience. This pilot phase will focus on health, a priority area as identified by VSO Ethiopia and its local partners.
Please note: There is currently a call for Ethiopian-Canadian health professionals with clinical and/or academic expertise to volunteer at medical faculties in Ethiopia for 3–6 weeks in spring/early summer 2009.
Guyanese diaspora
We are pleased to be working with a number of different partners from the Guyanese diaspora community in Canada.
Canada-Guyana Teacher Education Project (CGTEP)
CUSO-VSO is partnering with CGTEP to help improve the quality and delivery of education in Guyana. Mississauga-based CGTEP has been implementing volunteering programs since the 1980s. This new program will go beyond the summer teaching program to explore possibilities for longer-term volunteer placements to fill gaps in the education system and support improved teacher training.
St. Stanislaus College Alumni Association – Toronto Chapter
Founded in 1993, the St. Stanislaus College Alumni Association, Toronto Chapter, is devoted to making its namesake the best educational institution in Guyana.
The Association provides financial and other aid to the college to improve both the physical environment of the College and quality of education for its students. Through this new partnership with CUSO-VSO, the Saints group is exploring ways to promote volunteering to its alumni and other community members, especially in the areas of education and secure livelihoods through agriculture-based microenterprise development.
Guyana Burn and Healthcare Charitable Foundation (GBHF)
The GBHF successfully set up Guyana’s first burn unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Through this partnership, we hope to assist and support GBHF in setting up a program of post-treatment care and support for burn survivors. This program, along with preventative education programs, will help discharged patients integrate back into their communities without fear of discrimination and social stigma.
GBHF and CUSO-VSO will work together towards helping GBHF develop and strengthen its volunteer program, both in Canada and its volunteering-sending program to Guyana.
Filipino diaspora
We are pleased to work with VSO Bahaginan, the member of the VSO Federation based in the Philippines to explore a new initiative in Canada and the Philippines. The preliminary research will look into concepts, policies and practices of the relatively large Filipino diaspora community in Canada in the area of giving and volunteering, and how this has impacted social and economic development in the Philippines.
From this research, CUSO-VSO and VSO Bahaginan will develop a project that will mobilize and match the skills of the Filipino diaspora community in Canada.
