Australia’s aid program has had a long history with volunteers. First emerging out of the University of Melbourne in the 1950s and 1960s, the initiatives have had a range of names including the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development and now the Australian Volunteers for International Development. But the purpose is still the same: to allow Australians to share their expertise with developing countries and make a difference in line with Australia’s overseas aid program.
The benefits often run both ways. For volunteers, working on a development project can be a life and career defining opportunity for the broad range of people the program attracts. Volunteers include young people at the start of their career, taking a gap year from studies or work and more recently, baby boomers giving back as part of their retirement.
“The volunteer program is extremely appealing and interesting to a broad range of people,” Simona Achitei, volunteer program manager for Scope Global, told Devex. “I initially thought people who would want to volunteer were those with an interest in international development. To my surprise, the people who tend to volunteer come from all walks of life.”
About the author
Lisa Cornishlisa_cornish
Lisa Cornish is a former Devex Senior Reporter based in Canberra, where she focuses on the Australian aid community. Lisa has worked with News Corp Australia as a data journalist and has been published throughout Australia in the Daily Telegraph in Melbourne, Herald Sun in Melbourne, Courier-Mail in Brisbane, and online through news.com.au. Lisa additionally consults with Australian government providing data analytics, reporting and visualization services.
