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. In education, most volunteers work not in the mainstream formal education system, but in the non-formal primary sector. For example, one volunteer is currently supporting a project to develop differentiated materials for rural schools and other primary education specialists help to make primary education more child-centred and encourage links with resource centres. Bangladesh s environmental problems are compounded by soil exhaustion, inappropriate use of fertilisers, deforestation and declining water tables.