International (Self-sourced)

International

Suggested self-sourced volunteering

You have the option to source your own volunteering. To begin with, it would be good to look into the organisations supported by the International Citizen Service below. However, as with any volunteering abroad, you will need to look into the opportunities very carefully and make sure you are happy with:

how your money is spent
the ethics and nature of the organisation you are going with
what involvement the local community has in the opportunity.

International Citizen Service

All of the opportunities below are supported by the International Citizen Service (ICS). ICS is the UK's leading global volunteering programme for young people aged between 18 to 25 who want to do voluntary development work abroad.

ICS brings together young people from different countries to fight poverty – with volunteers from the UK working alongside volunteers from the developing world.

Funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), ICS is run by the six organisations below, all of which are regarded as some of the most respected names in international volunteering. All of these organisations have a wealth of experience in youth volunteering and offer you a wide range of volunteering opportunities.

You can find out more information on each of these organisation either by clicking on their individual web links above, or through the ICS website. For those students aged over 25, you will find a wide variety of opportunities on the VSO website.

The International Service supports people in developing countries to understand their rights, and put them into action, so they can change their lives for the better. They work to protect and promote the rights of:

women
people with disabilities
children and young people
people living with HIV and AIDS.

You could volunteer in:

Bolivia
Burkina Faso
Ghana (from 2013)
Mali
Occupied Palestinian territory

Find out more about the International Service.

Progressio works alongside people in developing countries to help them gain power over their lives and overcome barriers that keep them poor.

Inspired by its Catholic roots, and building on 70 years' experience of development, Progressio believes poor and marginalised people can gain the power to transform their lives.

If you volunteer for ICS with Progressio you could work in:

El Salvador
Honduras
Malawi
Nicaragua
Zimbabwe.

Find out more about Progresso.

Raleigh International is a youth and sustainable development charity. Since 1984, it has helped over 36,000 young volunteers from around the world contribute to sustainable development projects, fight global poverty and conserve the environment.

Raleigh enables communities and young volunteers to learn from each other, tackle global issues and exchange cultures. Young volunteers also develop key life skills such as team-working, leadership, adaptability, communication and problem-solving.

You could volunteer in:

India
Nicaragua
Tanzania (from June 2013)

Find out more about Raleigh International.

Restless Development is a youth-led development agency working with young people in Africa and Asia. Its programmes tackle some of the most pressing issues facing young people today.

Restless Development believes young people have the energy, commitment and skills to solve some of the world's biggest problems.

It places young people at the forefront of change and development and is led by young people, from the boardroom right through to the grassroots.

You could volunteer in:

India
Nepal
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia

Find out more about Restless Development.

Tearfund
A Christian international aid and development agency working globally to end poverty and injustice, and restore dignity and hope in some of the world's poorest communities.

We operate in more than 50 countries around the world, responding to emergencies and speaking out on behalf of poor people by petitioning governments, campaigning for justice and raising the profile of key poverty issues.
Where we work

You could volunteer in:

Bolivia
Burundi
Cambodia
Malawi (from 2013)
Rwanda

Find out more about Tearfund.

VSO is one of the world's leading independent international development organisations working through volunteers.

We tackle poverty in developing countries by using the skills, commitment and enthusiasm of volunteers from around the world. For 50 years, we have been recruiting a wide range of people, with a wide range of skills to live and work in the heart of local communities.

You could volunteer in: