2021 Lukluk (VSA) - Magazine - Page 23
about a project that involved
university students going overseas
on projects to countries which a
UK based volunteer organisation
(Voluntary Service Overseas- VSO)
had links with and it worked very
well.”
Over the following year VSA
and Otago University worked
together and launched the
UniVol programme in 2006. As
Tony recalls, “Initially it was a
partnership between VSA and the
Geography Department at Otago
University. We sent 12 students
overseas to all sorts of places
including Vanuatu and Papua
New Guinea. One male went to
Tanzania, a couple went to South
Africa, and we had a woman who
went to Cambodia.
Six years and dozens of successful
assignments with Otago students
later, the decision was made to
broaden and grow the UniVol
programme, giving many other
New Zealand tertiary students
the opportunity for life changing
experiences through development
work.
people who first of all have very
strong motivation and interest in
development, what development’s
all about,” explains Tony, “We’re
looking for people who perhaps
have had some experience of
community work, working with
children, for example, or working
with disabled people and you know
coping with difficult situations.”
“I think if I were to look back, I’ve
been here for 17 years and I’m
retiring at the end of the year, and
if I look back on what I’ve achieved,
right at the top of my list would be
the UniVol program. I’m very proud
of it indeed.”
VSA partners with a
number of universities in
Aotearoa to give young
people the opportunity
to volunteer across the
Pacific region. UniVols are
trained and financially
supported to travel to
and live in the countries
they volunteer in.
“We’re not necessarily looking for
A or A+ students, we’re looking for
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