Bangladesh also faces grave environmental problems as a result of natural and human causes and is prone to extreme weather conditions such as cyclones and floods. There are few income-generating opportunities for poor people and rural livelihoods are additionally insecure due to the natural and environmental factors. However, bureaucratic government processes and continued political unrest destabilise the development process and disrupt poverty alleviation programmes. The VSO programme Over the last few years, the VSO programme has gradually been refocusing its programme. It has moved from being a diverse programme where volunteers work in a variety of placements in all skill areas, to one where there is a strong focus on placements in capacity-building, education, community health care and rural economic development.
Gender equality is a cross-cutting theme across all placements.
VSO does, however, continue to link with the government sector at community level. VSO volunteers help indigenous NGOs to develop their organisational capacity so they can deliver better services which reduce disadvantage, particularly gender-based inequality. Volunteers share skills in education, community health and rural economic development. These smaller organisations depend on external resources and funding which makes them vulnerable to funding gaps. Organisational development volunteers can be management advisers and policy and planning advisers, volunteers developing financial systems and documentationalists.