How GVN Works

One Small Organisation - One Big World!

Over the past seven years we have connected 11,500 volunteers with our 21 partner organisations throughout South America, Africa, and Asia. The network continues to expand with new programs currently being researched and assessed. Our diverse opportunities include volunteer programs, training programs, and fundraising treks.

This is how we do it...

Achieving Our Vision

Our vision is to connect people with communities in need. We do this by supporting the work of local community organisations in countries through the placement of international volunteers.
Our staff in New Zealand are passionate about their work, we want to ensure volunteers have an incredibly rewarding and memorable personal experience on their placement.

We work with our partner organisations to support them in achieving their goals and ensuring that their projects are sustainable and effective.

Benefits of working with local partners

At GVN we value our relationships with our local partner organisations. When you volunteer with us you can be assured you are helping a local grassroots organisation rather than a large travel/tour provider. This means that volunteer efforts directly benefit local groups, local communities, and local people.

By sourcing international volunteers for our partners we allow them to concentrate on the work they are doing to bring positive changes to their communities, rather than having to worry about recruiting and sourcing volunteers.

Our local partners experience the everyday life and struggles of the local people, they have intimate knowledge of what they go through and what they face in their day to day life. Our partners want to impart this knowledge to our volunteers giving them the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of communities in need.

Our partners and their goals inspire us each and every day in the GVN office.

Local Partners

At GVN we align with the idea of 'local solutions to local problems', so we work with local community organisations in each country. We believe that local communities are in the best position to determine their needs, and we provide volunteers to help them achieve their goals.

What this means for our volunteers is that they receive a unique and genuine cultural experience whilst being immersed in a local community.

We are proud of the work our local partners are able to carry out through our volunteers. Below are just two examples of our partner’s recent achievements:

GVN Kenya Partner, Ms. Irene Wairimu Ngatia, has been honoured by the Embassy of United States in Nairobi, Kenya for her outstanding leadership and humanitarian service to children and families in need of social services, education, shelter, food, and medical attention throughout the region.

On the 5th anniversary of our Vietnam partner’s operation, Viet Dang noted that “more than 1,200 international volunteers have been placed and thousands of dollars have been donated, which has helped improve many needy lives in the central region of Vietnam. I have seen at many places in our program the children being happy, healthy and well-educated. Many thanks.”

Focus on Our Partners

Ghana
Help a School (HAS), was founded in September 2001 by Eric Arthur. He saw the need for effective teachers in many local schools. He pondered about ways in which he could help solve this shortcoming of schools in the Ghanaian school system. After much thought, he decided to set up an organisation through which students, people from other parts of the world, namely international volunteers would interact and share knowledge and life experience. Many volunteers have discovered or rediscovered themselves whilst doing voluntary work there.

Vietnam
GVN Vietnam was founded by Viet Dang in 2004. The mission of our partner in Vietnam is to attract international volunteer aids to different social assistance programs in Vietnam, especially those for disadvantaged children. This builds cross-cultural education and understanding between Vietnamese people and people around the world.
Like many children in Vietnam, Viet grew up having limited finances. This limitation did not allow him to attend university instead he travelled and worked around Vietnam. It was then that he had the opportunity to volunteer and see the needs of children. A few years later Viet was sponsored by a school friend that was inspired by Viet’s passion to assist disadvantaged children. His friend explanation for the sponsorship was “You are planting a garden of flowers in Vietnam”. His commitment has never wavered ever since that day.

Nepal
Emma C. Rahman saw a huge need when she first moved to Nepal in 2001and realised that if she wanted to help effectively, then she would have to establish her own organisation. Her mission is "to work within communities to empower them and to make them self sufficient for their brighter future." They now provide hope and a happy home for many orphaned children who are benefitting from health care, education and much love and affection.

Ecuador
“Our biological stations are considered leaders in the development of innovative programs in themes related to community agro forestry, reforestation, organic production, sustainable aquaculture alternatives in mangrove ecosystem, carbon fixation, nutrition and health, productive projects (handicrafts, coffee and organic cacao), as well as in scientific research projects in continental, marine and insular areas in Ecuador.”
The vision of the organization is to continue working with local communities to promote ecosystem conservation while improving local economies and quality of life.

Ethiopia
There are a lot of street children in Ethiopia, especially in the capital city Addis Ababa. This children’s home was founded in 2005 to become a home and rehabilitation center for street children. Today there are eight children living in Mercy Home, who are provided with school tuition, uniforms, supplies, play clothing, medical care, and food. These costs are also covered for ten other children who used to live in the home but have returned home to their family.

“When we looked at these kids without proper education, food, health, low self esteem, we decided to do our part to reach these children and change the situation they live in.”