The Portal December 2016 | Page 22

THE P RTAL
December 2016 Page 22

VMM International

The Volunteer Missionary Movement – is offering inspirational short-term volunteering opportunities in Africa among its range of activities for 2017

The short-term volunteering programme is a chance to take part in projects in Malawi , Uganda and Ghana , as VMM responds to a clearly articulated need from partner organisations in Africa .

Successful applicants will spend three to six weeks working alongside local VMM volunteers and coordinators on a variety of schemes , including teaching assistance , community development and even construction .
The main initiatives , and the countries involved , are : in 1969 , has sent more than 2,000 lay volunteers to nearly 40 countries .
As a faith and values-based operation , it works to help grassroots partners in nine African countries take care of the needs that local people consider most important to them .
• Uganda – teaching assistance work at local primary schools , including helping with lessons and after-school activities ; also construction and administrative positions
• Malawi – community development placements in youth work , teaching assistance and home care for those affected by HIV
• Ghana – volunteer possibilities in childcare , sports coaching , education and building projects .
These opportunities are open to people of all ages and levels of experience ; while some openings are aimed specifically at 18 to 25-year-olds , there are other specialised projects for those with a lifetime of experience . Additionally , professional placements are possible .
The hope is that volunteers will gain a deeper understanding of development issues while also , potentially , becoming equipped and experienced enough to be able to fill full-time positions in the future .
Student Phoebe Pennington , who completed a shortterm teaching placement in Uganda last summer , said : “ As I planned to study education and international development at university , this placement gave me a great opportunity to gain first-hand experience of development work in the area of primary education . Volunteering allowed me to share my skills with the teachers and students , but also gave me the chance to learn and develop . My time in Africa was inspirational .”
VMM is an international development and volunteering organisation which , since being founded
Its vision is to help build “ a world where we live in the shelter of one another ”; its mission “ to share who we are and not just what we have ”.
Bishop John Arnold , chair of CAFOD ’ s board of trustees , says : “ The work of VMM goes much further than just giving money to the needy – it is about fulfilling the potential of people .”
John Denny , VMM CEO , adds : “ This is not just about VMM ; it is our service contribution to the wider mission family in responding positively to real need and , in so doing , reinforcing and developing the role of lay mission in international development .”
Thus VMM recruits , trains , sends out and supports skilled and committed volunteers to share their own unique skills with people in developing countries . One key corollary of these efforts is to promote in a positive light in the UK and Ireland the concept of mission .
The organisation has strong partnerships with universities , professional associations , mission orders and development NGOs that share a commitment to making real the aspirations of the Sustainable Development Goals 2016 , for some of the poorest and most marginalised communities on our planet .
It is a network that VMM strives continually to consolidate in order to keep making a positive difference – and , ideally , to create a vital surplus for mission investment .
VMM has offices in Dublin , Liverpool and Kenya . For UK , contact Van Garber via : van @ vmminternational . org or 0044 ( 0 ) 151 291 3438 .