During your placement

Getting settled in

Our local country office will meet you on your arrival in country and organise a briefing and further training.  Your in-country induction will last between two weeks and three months, depending on the country, and covers everything from medical and security procedures to language training to country-specific information.  As well as helping you understand the locally important issues, the induction also allows you to bond with other volunteers.

You will agree your placement goals together with your local VSO programme manager and the local employer. Although your primary relationship will be with your employer, the country office is always there to help with major personal, medical or security problems.

Life on placement

Your day-to-day routine will vary depending on your placement, but you will be enjoying an all-new culture, mixing in a different community and challenging yourself professionally, in all new ways.

All volunteers are offered financial assistance, which includes an allowance paid in local currency. The allowance is designed to meet reasonable living expenses in country, and will not be enough for you to expect to send money home.

Accomodation varies, but is generally basic. VSO works with some of the poorest and most disadvantaged communities in the world and you should be willing to live in accomodation similar to that of your colleagues. You will have a private room.

You are entitled to four weeks leave every year. However, we will not cover your travel expenses so if you do decide to use this time to return home you will have to pay for the flights and transport costs yourself.

Staying healthy

Your health and wellbeing are important to us. We have comprehensive medical insurance and procedures put in place for all of our volunteers. During your placement, you will normally consult local doctors about health problems.

Each of our country offices has an appointed medical adviser, usually a local doctor or nurse, whom you can consult with (contact details will be provided during your in-country training). You will also receive the VSO country office’s emergency contacts and medical emergency procedures, together with a list of recommended doctors, clinics, dentists and pharmacies in your region.

Extending your placement

Whilst two years can seem like a long time at the start of the process, many volunteers request extensions to their placements and are often successful.

Whether this is possible depends on the needs of the organisation and whether they need you to stay longer than planned in order to complete the job or extend its benefits and impact. depend on the needs of the organisation and whether they need you to stay longer than planned in order to complete the job or extend its benefits and impact.

What about returning home?

Sometimes returning home after your placement can seem a bigger shock than going away in the first place. VSO will offer your support to help you get settled as well as careers advice and guidance on using your professional development overseas in future employment.

We also offer ways to carry on your VSO journey and share your experiences, whether at events or by joining campaigns and advocacy work.

Read more about returning home.

 

Next steps