VSA (Volunteer Service Abroad)

🌏 Welcome to Fiji, Daniel Jang! 🌴 We’re excited to welcome Daniel Jang to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) in Suva! For the next four months, Daniel will serve as an Information Security Specialist, sharing his expertise to strengthen PIFS' information security systems and help create a safer digital environment for the region. 💻🔒 Lavenia, our Fiji Country Programme Coordinator, recently met with Dan to complete his orientation – setting him up for success as he begins this important work. Vinaka vaka levu, Daniel, for bringing your skills to support regional development in the Pacific. Wishing you an enriching and impactful assignment ahead! 💚 #VolunteerArrival #VSAImpact #Fiji #InformationSecurity #RegionalDevelopment

🌟 This Festive Season, Help Transform Lives Across the Pacific and Beyond At Volunteer Service Abroad Te Tūao Tāwāhi (VSA), we are dedicated to empowering communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste by delivering life-changing programmes that foster growth, resilience, and opportunity. But this important work is only possible with your support. Your donation today will play a vital role in enabling us to send skilled volunteers to these communities, helping to create lasting change where it’s needed most. Volunteers like Beryl Riley work alongside local leaders like Valerie and Tony at Arawa Secondary School in Bougainville, transforming lives by expanding pastoral care and providing essential guidance for students and teachers. 💬 “The more we do pastoral care, the more we get to know our students. I truly believe this work helps us avoid tragedies. I’m so thankful for [Beryl].” – Valerie, Head of Business Studies & Personal Development Your support means we can continue curating life-changing programmes for communities like Arawa, where volunteers help foster hope, resilience, and opportunity. It costs an average of $70,000 to send one volunteer on assignment, and while the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade covers most of this cost, we rely on generous donors like you to make this work possible. 🌏 Every Dollar Counts: Your donation will ensure we can continue to connect people and transform lives, empowering communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste to reach their full potential. This is your chance to create lasting change. Together, we can make a difference not just for individuals but for entire communities. 🎄 Donate Today: https://lnkd.in/gtZb538c Your kindness will echo far beyond this festive season. Ngā mihi nui, The VSA Team #VSA #SupportYouth #VolunteerAbroad #PacificCommunities #TransformLives

🌟 Celebrating Milestones with the FMI Sisters in Papua New Guinea! 🌟 Since 1912, the FMI Sisters have tirelessly supported women in East New Britain. Their latest achievement? The first cocoa harvest from the plantation supporting the Couppe Meri Women’s Safe House, a vital refuge for abused women and children. 🍫🌱 With help from VSA UniVol Laura Barnett and other dedicated volunteers, high-quality cocoa seedlings were planted to create a sustainable income for the refuge, filling a critical gap in services where no government funding exists. Today, this harvest not only supports the safe house but also contributes to Papua New Guinea’s agricultural exports. 💬 Johannes Gambo, VSA PNG Programme Manager, says it best: "Volunteers are like farmers – they plant seeds today, trusting in a better tomorrow." This success showcases the lasting impact of volunteerism and community collaboration. 💪💚 #VSAImpact #CommunityDevelopment #PapuaNewGuinea 👉 Learn more about this inspiring project here: https://lnkd.in/gcbGWrJW

A Huge Thank You to Our Volunteers!✨🌍 As International Volunteer Day comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to the incredible volunteers who make everything we do at VSA possible. Your dedication, passion, and expertise are transforming lives and building stronger communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. Whether you're working in education, health, business development, or climate change, your impact is immeasurable. You inspire us every day with your commitment to creating lasting, sustainable change. To all of our volunteers—thank you for your tireless efforts and for being the heart of what we do. 💫 If you’re inspired by the work our volunteers do just like we are, and want to be part of something meaningful, visit our website to learn more about volunteering opportunities and how you can get involved. 👉 vsa.org.nz #InternationalVolunteerDay #VSAInAction #VolunteersMakeADifference #ConnectingPeopleTransformingLives

Celebrating International Volunteer Day 🌺 As we count down to International Volunteer Day, we celebrate the incredible efforts of our volunteers across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. Every story shared in Ngā Reo showcases the passion, resilience, and impact of these remarkable individuals who work alongside communities to create meaningful, lasting change. Our volunteers embody the essence of kotahitanga—coming together as one for a brighter future. Their mahi is an inspiration, and we couldn’t be prouder of the difference they’re making. ✨ Want to celebrate their achievements with us? Sign up to receive Ngā Reo directly in your inbox and be inspired by these stories of collaboration and connection. ➡️ Sign up here (https://lnkd.in/gT9JEH-U) 🌟 To all our volunteers: Thank you for making a difference every day. We celebrate you today and always.🌟 #InternationalVolunteerDay #VSAInAction #CommunityImpact

"The laughter, the language, the people—it all brings me so much joy." Meet Shupayi Mpunga-Direen, VSA Programme Manager in the Solomon Islands, as she shares her love for her role and the unique connections she helps build between volunteers and local communities. Dive into her story and see the heart of VSA's work in action. 💙 Watch the full video here https://lnkd.in/dhXpJNwV

🌺 In the Solomon Islands, with 9 provinces and over 70 languages and dialects, diversity is our strength. Each province holds unique cultures, languages, and traditions that reflect who we are. The theme “Protectim langguis an kalsa blong yumi” reminds us to celebrate our heritage—through language, food, music, storytelling, and traditional ways of life. Preserving history and culture starts at home, where values and traditions are passed down from our ancestors to future generations.

🌴✨ Join us for VSA's SAMOA ADVENTURE 2025! ✨🌴 Interested in volunteering in the Pacific? Want to visit beautiful Samoa in 2025? Now you can combine the two - travel to Samoa with our CEO Kate Wareham and visit some of our programmes in action. Register by COB Monday 2 December and you'll be eligible for $150 discount!! We've partnered with Inspired Adventures to bring you this one-of-a-kind experience, where you'll witness the powerful impact of VSA volunteers’ mahi firsthand. 🤝💛 📅 Sign up now at https://lnkd.in/gqUQHaZe and be part of the adventure that makes a difference! #VSASamoaAdventure #TravelWithPurpose #InspiredAdventures #TagioTumas

Solomon Aelan Pijin Langguis Wik 2024 🌴 This week, we celebrate Solomon Aelan Pijin Langguis Wik and the theme: "Protektim langguis an kalsa blong yumi - Protect our language and culture." At VSA, we’re proud to work alongside the vibrant communities of the Solomon Islands, supporting local initiatives and fostering community-led development. Through partnership and collaboration, we honour the value of Solomon Aelan Pijin, not just as a language but as a living connection to identity and shared history. It’s through these connections that we achieve lasting impact, strengthening communities and celebrating the diversity that defines us all. Happy Celebrations! 📸 is Katie Croom with her colleagues as a Nursing Education Mentor - IPC at National Referral Hospital (NRH) #SolomonIslandsPidginLanguageWeek #ProtektimLangguis #SolomonIslandsCulture #VSANZ

VSA volunteer, Gerard O'Brien, has recently returned from the Solomon Islands where he worked as a Gym Management and Training Advisor at Honiara City Council Gym. During his year on assignment, he helped not only build administrative capacity, but also revitalise the gym's women's exercise classes and develop a youth class scheme. Find out more about Gerard's story at https://lnkd.in/gQ5pdQhy! #SolomonIslands #VSA #VolunteerSpotlight #Impact #Inspiration