Cuso International West

After serving in Ghana for 13 months, Katherine Nicole is going to volunteer in Rwanda as a Gender Specialist. Utilizing her research skills, she will work with Plan Rwanda where she will monitor and evaluate activities related to gender issues. Katherine is very excited to meet new people and to experience a new culture. We wish Katherine all the best in her adventures. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO International, share skills and volunteer in 40 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cusointernational.org

Pegi Furanna-McIntosh is going to serve in Ghana as a Teacher Support with Cuso International. She has worked as a teacher for many years in Canada and is currently serving as the Head of Department at Notre Dame Regional Secondary School. She is excited about her pending trip to Ghana and is looking forward to sharing her teaching experiences in her new environment. Volunteer for a better world! Join Cuso International, share skills and volunteer in 40 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cusointernational.org

I met Peter and Debra in Tanzania at a volunteer conference. They had been in Tanzania living in the Kabaya area for 2 months. Kabaya is near Dodoma and Arusha. Listen to how a couple make their way to their assignment and how they feel about it 2 months along.Interviewed by Umeeda Switlo during VSO Tanzania and Tanzanian 50th anniversary. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO International, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cusointernational.org

Barbara Curwen couldn't wait to get back into the field after serving ten years ago in the Ngong hills in Kenya with Cuso. This time her spouse Peter Stancyzyk had retired and could join her to also volunteer in the health sector.They are in Arusha near Mount Kilimanjaro.Hear about her assignment in Health.Barbara on is photographed at a special 50th event. On left.Interviewed by Umeeda Switlo in Tanzania. Tanzania celebrated 50 years of independence and VSO also celebrated 50 years of development work in Tanzania. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO International, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cusointernational.org

Margaret had done a CIDA internship in Senegal before she came to CUSO International wanting to share her skills.She is working in Kigera district as an Agriculture Business and Livestock advisor with World Vision.An amazing lady with some great stories.Interviewed by Umeeda Switlo during her visit in Tanzania in December 2011. Tanzania was celebrating its 50th year of independence and VSO Tanzania also celebrated 50 years of development work.Photo Margaret-right with fellow volunteer Samantha-left. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO International, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cusointernational.org

I was so pleased to hear about Bairu's work in Tanzania in the last four months. He believes in and works in a collaborative way. Bairu is an educator of educator. Listen to his story.Interviewed by Umeeda Switlo during her visist in Tanzania in December 2011. Tanzania was celebrating its 50th anjniversay. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO International , share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cusointernational.org

I was so pleased to hear about Bairu's work in Tanzania in the last four months. He believes in and works in a collaborative way. Bairu is from Toronto and has recently retired. He served in Malawai with CIDA. He is now a teacher of teachers that serve about 31 schools near Lake Victoria. Listen to his story.Interviewed by Umeeda Switlo during her visit in Tanzania in December 2011. Tanzania was celebrating its 50th anniversary. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO International , share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cusointernational.org

We were fortunate to host our southern partner Theodros Belew from Ethiopia for a week in Vancouver. Thedoros is the Director of teacher and education leader directorate in Ethiopia.Access to education is increasing in Ethiopia; however the quality of education has not improved as much. Theodros explains how international volunteers contribute to the development of quality education, whether it is through training teachers, assisting with education policies or with developing curriculums. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO-VSO, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cusointernational.org

Shimpei Chihara volunteered in Hanoi, Vietnam as an Organization Development Advisor for a local NGO that worked towards HIV/AIDS prevention. Shimpei finished his 2 year project objectives in only one year. He quickly recognized that the transgender people of Hanoi were often unrepresented and as such, began a new project for the transgender people. With new funding, he started a self help group for transgender female where they had discussions, social activities as well as transgender fashion shows. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO-VSO, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cuso-vso.org

Lorne Lewis voluntered in Bostwana from 1972 to 1975. As an accomplished business man and mechanic in Victoria, he was sick and tired of the usual day to day life. After he sold his business, he decided he needed something new. Lewis moved to Bostwana for three years where he taught and trained young mechanics. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO-VSO, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cuso-vso.org

I met Carly at our In Country Training in Rwanda. We learned so much about the country, language, history, people and about the disability and education programs. Carly is from Toronto. Good luck on your assignment! Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO-VSO, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cuso-vso.org

I am in Kigali Rwanda working as a fundraising advisor to 8 disability groups. I met Sam Badege and others that are members of NOUSPR is Kigali. They have a small social enterprise organization that makes and sells handicrafts to support their work. Please contact umeeda.switlo@cuso-vso.org if you wish to buy some of these crafts.NOUSPR is comprised of a board of experts, who were elected by the people with psychosocial disabilities to represent their interests they are well informed and aware of their social needs.The leaders of NOUSPR are also well versed with the Rwandan culture, the bad history of human rights abuse and how people with the minority in general have been deprived of their human rights, in their own society. This experience has made the team raise the organization from mere dreams to, now with the membership of over 270. The spirit of volunteerism, with devotion and self sacrifice is currently shared by many among the members, caregivers and friends have been inspired by this spirit as well and have embraced it in their daily lives.The team also has a long history in the disability movement it has been registering successes in challenging and changing the Rwandan tradition of marginalizing people with psychosocial disabilities and in fighting stigma and discrimination. Many suffered after the 1994 genocide and are trying hard to recover. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO-VSO, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cuso-vso.org

Vasile volunteered in Kenema, the eastern portion of Sierra Leone as a rural engineer. She worked with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to help improve the rice production for some of the poorest farmers in Sierra Leone and anticipates that the production of the rice will increase in the next three years. Though the project was successful, she says that that the most amazing aspect was to see younger people realize how they can benefit from the project and their eagerness to continue the work so their communities will benefit. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO-VSO, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cuso-vso.org

Paul volunteered his civil engineering skills for rural water supply projects in Northeast Thailand. Paul found that his biggest challenge was to work in Thai language. He met his wife at his placement, who was volunteering with the Peace Corps. He has returned to Thailand three times with his family and feels that it is most gratifying to go back and see people are still using the things you help them built, twenty to thirty years ago. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO-VSO, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cuso-vso.org

Kasia volunteered as a documentation advisor in a small town, 2 hours north of Nairobi. Her main roles included documenting files, organizing data, creating evaluation and monitoring tools, closing and starting up projects and other administrative tasks. Dissatisfied by the office work, Kasai felt that she needed to be more involved in the community. She became involved in the Dallas community, the slum community, where she worked with orphaned and vulnerable children. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO-VSO, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cuso-vso.org