Voluntary Service Overseas

Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Its vision is a world without poverty in which people work together to fulfill their potential. VSO has been in existence for nearly 50 years and is the largest charity of its kind. It actively recruits volunteers from around the world and has almost 2,000 skilled professionals currently working in more than 40 developing countries.

Why Voluntary Service Overseas?

Rather than sending instant relief in the form of food or money, VSO sends volunteers to share their skills and experience with local communities in the developing world. These volunteers are selected from a wide range of professionals who want make a positive difference in the fight against poverty.

In November 1999, Accenture United Kingdom was a founding member of VSO Business Partnership Scheme which provides opportunities for employees of participating companies to volunteer their business skills for use in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. There are currently 16 Accenture offices participating in the VBP scheme, offering employees the opportunity to take a leave of absence to volunteer with VSO from one month to a year. Whilst VSO pays the volunteer a small salary, Accenture provides upfront payment and/or monthly allowances to help make this viable for the employee.

What's our contribution?

The Accenture Foundations awarded a global giving grant of $1.05 million in 2003. This grant continues to fund the development and expansion of the VSO Business Partnership (VBP) Scheme for Accenture employees. Eighty Accenture employees from all over the world have already taken part.

A second global giving grant of $1.29 million over three years was awarded in 2006 to help VSO develop a new approach to enterprise development that will increase the impact and contribution of its work as well as a strategic element of championing Secure Livelihoods and Enterprise Development.

Where next?

Through the second grant, VSO hopes to increase incomes and improve income security for disadvantaged people by developing programs that focus on making markets work for the poor. Programs will consist of several volunteer interventions at different parts of the value chain, such as targeting farmers, wholesalers and exporters to ensure a "joined-up" approach to enterprise development. This new approach will be used in nine VSO livelihoods programs.

Three flagship programs are being developed to equip the organizations receiving aid with greater knowledge and skills to continue working effectively beyond the grant and also as a feedback mechanism for continuous learning. The first of these is a supply chain initiative in Tanzania. A broader range of volunteering opportunities is also planned under the VBP scheme for Accenture people worldwide alongside a means to enhance the learning support available to them.

Find out more about Accenture's volunteering efforts.

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