Providing skilled Australian volunteers is one way we support our international partners to be strong, viable organisations that can best serve their communities.
Remarkable achievements came from this year’s international volunteering collaborations. In Laos, the blood service developed a new database that is crucial to improving the safety of blood supplies. In Cambodia, a mental health organisation now has a communications strategy to improve national understanding of mental health issues. In Botswana, Kenya and Uganda, more than 70% of our partners reported that volunteers injected innovative ideas that strengthened program design, while 65% found that volunteers helped them develop successful proposals that resulted in funding and program growth.
We have big changes in store for the coming year, when we will transition out of the Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program and integrate volunteering within our overall program approach. Insights from the AVID program will shape a new model for international volunteering, which is more closely aligned to our ongoing humanitarian and development work.
Australian volunteer Jeremy Smith, an experienced ambulance paramedic, demonstrates bandaging techniques on Batenkh*, with Naranhuu from Mongolian Red Cross Society watching on. *This name has been changed to protect the individual’s privacy.
Australian Red Cross/Mareike Guensche.
