VSA HillAry Club

Working together to achieve great things

The

The VSA Hillary Club

Working together to achieve great things
In Sir Edmund Hillary, VSA had the perfect founding president. His fame, his enormous public influence and his personal mana made him the ideal person to get results with politicians, bureaucrats, and community groups of all kinds. But his role with VSA went far beyond being a famous figurehead. Sir Eds greatest contribution sprang from his own character, which in many ways became the essence of our underlying philosophy the VSA way. He believed that relationships were the most important thing of all and that if people work together in an equal partnership they can achieve great things. This year we are celebrating VSAs 50th anniversary. We are proud to be able to mark this achievement, and to honour Sir Eds legacy, with the launch of the VSA Hillary Club, an exciting new fundraising initiative that will help us continue Sir Eds vision for VSA. By becoming a member of the VSA Hillary Club you can help us keep working in partnership with communities striving for change, so that together we can achieve great things for another 50 years.

Deborah Snelson
CHiEf ExECuTiVE OffiCEr

february 2012

Contents
The VSA Hillary Club................. 3 What is VSA?............................. 6 Our areas of work...................... 8 Building local business Educating for the future fostering good governance Supporting strong communities Safeguarding the environment Boosting health VSA at a glance....................... 20

VSA HillAry Club

Working together to achieve great things

The

What is the VSA Hillary Club?

The VSA Hillary Club is a major donor club being launched to mark VSAs 50th anniversary. The VSA Hillary Club makes it possible for VSA to keep on working in partnership with our neighbours in the wider Pacific so that together we can achieve great things for another 50 years. Members of the VSA Hillary Club donate $4,500 or more to VSA each year. That is the amount we need to raise annually for each Kiwi volunteer we have in the field in order to keep our programme at its current level 100 volunteers on assignment at any one time.

PHOTO: Sir Edmund Hillary (left) on a visit to Thailand with former volunteer Neil Bellingham in 1964.

The VSA Hillary Club

Why should I join the VSA Hillary Club?

By joining the VSA Hillary Club you can help us:

What can I support?

You can choose to support one of VSAs six main areas of work. They are:

What do I get in return for my donation?

As a member of the VSA Hillary Club we will provide regular reports on how your donation is being used and the results that are being achieved with your support. You will also have the opportunity to:

How do I join the VSA Hillary Club?

To become a member of the VSA Hillary Club, contact our fundraising manager, Karla Paotonu by phone (495 8526, 0274528058) or by email kpaotonu@vsa.org.nz She will arrange a personalised giving plan for you. for example, your may opt to make one annual payment of $4,500, or you may prefer to make monthly payments of $375, or fortnightly payments of $173.

plan for the future provide a secure source of funding for our current volunteer programme respond to more requests for volunteers from our partner organisations overseas explore new volunteering possibilities for New Zealanders keen to share their skills in developing countries reduce our administration costs.

building local business educating for the future fostering good governance supporting strong communities safeguarding the environment boosting health

visit a programme in the area of work you support meet recently returned volunteers whose assignments are in the area of work you support attend an annual lunch with other VSA Hillary Club members and hear from VSA volunteers and development experts about the issues and solutions facing international development and volunteering.

Merrill Holdsworth DirECTOr Evander Management Ltd

As a member of the VSA Hillary Club you will get a unique insight into the work we do, including opportunities to visit our volunteers and partner organisations in the field.

Alternatively, you can opt to make a general donation, and let us direct your donation where it is most needed. Whatever option you choose, we undertake to invest your donation in ways that provide the maximum benefit to the communities we work with.

I have supported the activities of VSA since my two-year volunteer assignment in Fiji in 1966/1967 and I am pleased to be able to continue this involvement as a member of the VSA Hillary Club. VSA is a cost-effective overseas development organisation that utilises the skills and can-do attitude of Kiwis; it is cost-effective because VSA sends people not money skilled volunteers who work directly with local communities to make a difference. By choosing to support VSA and join the VSA Hillary Club you will see the impact of your aid dollars, project by project, and share in the lives and successes of volunteers in the field.

The VSA Hillary Club

The VSA Hillary Club

Our guiding ethos

VSAs guiding ethos is simple: we recruit ordinary New Zealanders to achieve people-centred development with our partner organisations overseas. We are careful to choose partner organisations that are accountable and responsive to their communities. We work closely with our partner organisations to make sure that all our assignments are locally identified, locally relevant, and locally delivered. We have six main areas of work:

Building new partnerships

in 2011 we set up a new unit to develop strategic partnerships with New Zealand businesses and organisations keen to provide their staff with the opportunity to undertake short-term volunteering assignments. The main purpose of the Partnerships Development unit is to make it possible for more New Zealanders to share their skills in developing countries. Volunteering is an innovative way of providing leadership challenges to staff in the private and public sector. VSA is uniquely placed to develop volunteer assignments that benefit our strategic partners in New Zealand and our partner organisations overseas.

How we are funded

VSA is one of the Ministry of foreign Affairs and Trades strategic NGO partners, and receives its core funding from the New Zealand Aid Programme. The remainder of our funding is raised through membership fees and donations from private individuals and organisations. We need to raise at least $18 a day ($90 a working week) for each volunteer we have in the field in order to keep our programme at its current level 100 Kiwi volunteers on assignment at any one time. VSA is a registered charity and is non-governmental, non-religious and non-political.

PHOTO: Diane Thorne-George

What is VSA?
VSA is a New Zealand-based international development agency that sends Kiwi volunteers on long and short-term assignments to share their skills with our neighbours in the wider Pacific.
We are currently focusing our efforts in Melanesia, Polynesia and TimorLeste. We have about 100 volunteers on assignment at any one time. Over the past 50 years we have recruited more than 3,500 ordinary New Zealanders to achieve exceptional work with our partner organisations. building local business educating for the future fostering good governance supporting strong communities safeguarding the environment boosting health

Our goal is to transfer skills and knowledge, so that the changes achieved during an assignment are sustainable once volunteers return to New Zealand.

What is VSA?

What is VSA?

Support our business development work and help volunteers like Howard Iseli and Jim and Linda Bennie help people in the wider Pacific build a secure financial future.

Jump-starting tourism in Vanuatu

Just a few weeks after the Malampa.travel Call Centre opened it had already taken 12 bookings including one from a group of travel wholesalers and agents planning a familiarisation trip to the Vanuatu island of Malekula. The call centre was set up with help from VSA volunteer Howard Iseli, who is on assignment as a tourism business adviser in Lakatoro, the main town on Malekula. Previously it was hard for tourists to get information about accommodation and activities on the island, and almost impossible to contact tourism operators. The call centre means they now have access to a booking service with a website and reliable phone and email facilities. Howard is one of several VSA volunteers working in the tourism sector in Vanuatu. The aim is to help rural NiVanuatu get a bigger slice of the tourism pie. Tourism is vital to Vanuatus growing economy, but at present the vast majority of tourists only visit the capital, Port Vila, and the islands of Santo to the north and Tanna to the south. VSA tourism business adviser Jim Bennie has been helping to change that by pushing for cheaper and more
8 Our areas of work

PHOTO: Diane Thorne-George

frequent sea and air connections to the outer provinces. This includes a new deal being offered by Air Vanuatu which will give tourists discounted tickets to more remote locations.

Building local buSineSS

More than a third of VSAs work is in the area of business and economic development. Our volunteers work with a wide range of small businesses and community groups, helping them establish and develop productive enterprises that generate income and provide employment.

The course has been a real eye-opener for them its given them an opportunity to do something with their lives.
That should greatly increase the numbers of tourists visiting other islands, he says. VSA volunteers like Linda Bennie are also helping to create job opportunities in the tourism industry for rural Ni-Vanuatu. four of her students at the Torgil rural Training Centre on the island of Ambae found full-time jobs after completing the centres 12-month tourism course last year. The course has been a real eye-opener for them its given them an opportunity to do something with their lives.

Our areas of work

Support VSAs education work and help volunteers like Mike Stewart help change the future for children and young people in the wider Pacific.

Making a difference to teaching in Kokopo

Life as a teacher trainer in Kokopo, Papua New Guinea, is never dull, as Mike Stewart has discovered.
PHOTO: Camille Kirtlan

eduCAting for the future

About a quarter of all VSA assignments are in the education sector. In the past volunteers worked as classroom teachers; these days our volunteers are more likely to be working as in-service trainers, or mentoring other teachers and principals. its all part of VSAs ethos of sharing skills, rather than simply filling gaps.

Since he arrived at Vunupope International Primary School (ViPS) in April 2011 Mike has encountered bullfrogs in the PE shed, watched geckos scuttle up the wall of a classroom, wrestled with ants in the coffee jar and scared away a mouse in the toilet. It can make life as a teacher in New Zealand seem unexciting even mundane, he says. But for Mike, the truly exciting part of his job is seeing the joy on the faces of his Kokopo colleagues when they succeed at something new. The biggest satisfaction comes from seeing a teacher passing on new skills they have recently learnt to teach their own peers, he says. Mike is working alongside the teachers at VIPS helping them develop programmes for physical education, IT and reading recovery. One of the first things he tackled was helping to fix up the schools computer lab so that the school has a functioning network.

He is now helping the IT teacher develop new strategies for teaching computer-related skills, and mentoring the schools young PE teacher. Mike was also part of a group of staff and students who helped renovate and reorganise the school library. It was hard work but it was worth it: Everyone is so proud of their new library. Mike says that there are many opportunities for development at VIPS as well as many challenges. By working together we have already seen a lot of positive changes. Were taking things one step at a time and looking forward to enjoying the results.

The biggest satisfaction comes from seeing a teacher passing on new skills they have recently learnt to teach their own peers.

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Our areas of work

Our areas of work

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Support VSAs governance work and help volunteers like Sophie Egden help people in the wider Pacific improve their public services so they function more effectively.

Clearing the decks in the Solomon Islands

A five-year battle to get the owners of a wrecked vessel at Lata Wharf to take responsibility for removing it is just about over, thanks to VSA volunteer Sophie Egden and her colleagues at the Temotu Provincial Government. The vessel is blocking access to the wharf in the capital of Temotu, the Solomon islands most eastern province. It restricts the availability of supplies to the province, and makes it difficult to export products. it is also an environmental, health and navigational hazard, as well as being an eyesore for tourists arriving by sea. If we can do this it will be a great achievement for the Provincial Government, she says. The case is the largest and most fulfilling that Sophie has dealt with since she arrived in Temotu in June 2010. But she says smaller cases can be extremely satisfying too. Even writing a letter on someones behalf can make a huge difference to their lives, she says. As well as pursuing negligent ship owners, Sophie has provided advice on a wide range of issues including land, elections, forestry, the environment, undersea mining, employment, international maritime law, infrastructure contracts and marine protection. She has also helped train her colleagues, developed policies and drafted provincial legislation. ive really enjoyed stepping up to the challenge and being a small part of such meaningful change.

PHOTO: Sophie Edgen

Fostering good goVernAnCe

An increasing number of VSA assignments are helping to foster good governance, particularly in post-conflict countries such as the Solomon Islands, Bougainville and Timor-Leste. One of VSAs goals is to improve the management of public services so they function effectively for the communities we work with. Our volunteers work in a range of governance areas, including providing legal advice at both central and provincial government level.
12 Our areas of work

Even writing a letter on someones behalf can make a huge difference to their lives.
Sophie, who on assignment as a legal adviser, has been working with provincial and national government officials to pursue the matter through the courts. They have now tracked down the owners of the wreck, and are hopeful it will soon be removed.

Our areas of work

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Support our community development work and help VSA volunteers like Tanya Wilkinson help make life better for vulnerable citizens in the wider Pacific.

Increasing womens incomes in Timor-Leste

PHOTO: Tanya Wilkinson

Some members of womens organisation Hamahon feto Timor (HAfOTi) have quadrupled their incomes after making changes to the way they operate following a review of the organisation carried out with the help of VSA volunteer Tanya Wilkinson. HAfOTi helps train rural Timorese women to make and sell products to earn additional money for their families. The products include banana and cassava chips, virgin coconut oil, tamarind sweets, and traditional handcrafts. Tanya, who is working with HAfOTi as a marketing adviser, helped carry out the review in 2011 to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organisations marketing activities, and ways they could be changed or improved. The review helped the women streamline the way HAfOTi operates, and how they produce and distribute their products. The changes saw sales increase from $1,000 in the first half of 2011 to $4,000 in the second half. The women in one particularly active group have gone from earning about $5 each per month to $20, which

has made a big difference to their ability to provide money for essential household items and costs such as childrens school fees, says Tanya. HAfOTi has also recently set up a shop at its office in Dili, and launched a new website, www.hafoti.org for Tanya, one of the biggest satisfactions of her assignment is seeing how even small changes can make a big difference to the quality of the womens lives. Things like introducing a simple invoicing system have made it easier for members to record what they are selling and keep track of what they earn. This in turn has encouraged them to keep on making products, and to increase their production, she says.

Supporting strong CommunitieS

About a fifth of VSAs work is in the area of community development. We are committed to making life better for vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the communities we work with. We focus in particular on womens and youth organisations, and organisations that are working to strengthen social programmes.

Even small changes can make a big difference to the quality of the womens lives.

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Our areas of work

Our areas of work

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Support VSAs environmental work and help volunteers like Mary OReilly help people in the wider Pacific safeguard their environment for future generations.

Getting on top of waste in Vanuatu

A series of waste audits being carried out by VSA volunteer Mary Oreilly and her colleagues in Luganville will provide the information needed to help develop an effective waste management plan for the town. At present Luganville, the capital of Sanma Province, has only one rubbish truck to service a population of about 12,000, and no recycling facilities. This has created problems with waste. Cardboard boxes and plastic bags litter the main street, and food waste sits rotting in piles around the market and outside peoples homes. These have the potential to become compost heaps, and provide families with good compost for their gardens, but a lack of awareness and education means that at present the heaps are full of non-compostable materials, as well as rats and mice, says Mary. Three large housing developments being built in Luganville are creating a new waste challenge. The new subdivisions will house up to 2,000 people, and because they will all have electricity, more households than ever will be buying electrical goods like kettles, toasters and fridges. What happens to these when they reach the end of their life? Mary and her colleagues at the Luganville Municipal Provincial Council and the Sanma Provincial Council have embarked on a series of waste audits to accurately calculate the type and quantity of waste being generated by different groups in the town. The Councils are keen to start making progress with waste management. Luganville is becoming better known as a tourist destination and with increasing cruise ship arrivals the authorities want to present a clean, green image. The waste audits are an important first step to achieving that goal.
Our areas of work 17

PHOTO: Diane Thorne-George

Safeguarding the enVironment

Environmental and conservation work is a small but growing part of VSAs programme. Changing lifestyles mean that many countries in the wider Pacific now face problems with waste management and sewerage treatment. Population growth is also putting pressure on natural resources and the local environment.

The Councils are keen to start making progress with waste management. The waste audits are an important first step to achieving that goal.

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Our areas of work

Support our health work and help volunteers like Norah Riddick help people with disabilities in the wider Pacific get access to the services they need.

Making life more comfortable in Bougainville

Some hard cardboard, some flour and water paste, and a good helping of Kiwi ingenuity have helped transform the lives of several children with disabilities in Bougainville.
PHOTO: Norah Riddick

Boosting HeAltH
VSA volunteers have been working in the health sector for the past 50 years. At present, most of our health work focuses on providing support to those with specialised needs, such as people with disabilities. In particular, we have had a long association with the Papua New Guinea organisation, Callan Services for Disabled Persons.

VSA volunteer Norah riddick and her colleagues at Callan Services in Arawa used the cardboard and paste to make special chairs so that the children, who have disabilities such as cerebral palsy, can sit upright. Being able to sit up makes a huge difference to the quality of their lives, says Norah who is working at Callan Services as a physiotherapist and occupational therapy trainer. We cut and mould the cardboard to sort out exactly what we want, then fit the chair to the child. for Norah, the chairs are an example of what can be achieved despite the limited resources available in Bougainville. Callan Services provides education and communitybased rehabilitation for people with disabilities. However, while the staff have some basic training in community rehabilitation, none of them are trained physiotherapists.

Being able to sit up makes a huge difference to the quality of their lives.
Norah has been helping them develop the skills they need to care for people with disabilities, and to teach parents how to care for their physically disabled children. We do a lot of movements to loosen the children up so they are easier to care for, and to prevent deformities from developing. She and her colleagues at Callan Services also spend a lot of their time promoting disability awareness. A lot of disabled people are just hidden in the villages. We talk about the importance of looking at their abilities, rather than their disabilities, and stress that people with disabilities can live worthwhile lives too.

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Our areas of work

Our areas of work

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CAMBODIA

VIETNAM KIRIBATI

TIMOR-LESTE TANZANIA BOUGAINVILLE

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

TOKELAU

SOLOMON ISLANDS VANUATU SAMOA

ZAMBIA

TONGA

SOUTH AFRICA

VSA in 2010 / 2011

in the 2010/2011 financial year 139 exceptional VSA volunteers (+22 partners and two children) shared their skills in 151 assignments. They delivered an amazing 87.9 years of assignment activities with 106 partner organisations mostly in the area of business development, social development and education.

They worked in 14 countries. Their ages ranged from 21 to 75; 53% were men and 47% were women. The number of skilled New Zealanders who signed up to VSAs database of prospective volunteers increased by 67%.

To find out more go to www.vsa.org.nz

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VSA at a glance

To find out more about the VSA Hillary Club or to become a member contact: Karla Paotonu
fuNDrAiSiNG MANAGEr

(064) 04 495 8526 (064) 027 4528058 kpaotonu@vsa.org.nz Thank you for supporting VSAs locally identified, locally relevant and locally delivered development. By working together, we really can achieve great things. www.vsa.org.nz

Te Tao Twhi Volunteer Service Abroad Inc is a registered charity (CC36739) under the Charities Act 2005