Volunteering
Global Support Link has provided volunteering opportunities within our NGO partners since 2008.
In 2024, we have updated our volunteering programme to strengthen our positive commitment and impact!
GSL Volunteering Summary:
GSL seeks to transform volunteering by moving beyond traditional "helping" models that often perpetuate complex issues, focusing instead on locally-led, systemic change. Our approach focuses on educating and facilitating others through strategic thinking, local leadership, and genuine collaboration. By fostering collective action, GSL aims to create measurable outcomes and lasting impact.
We prioritise "strategic doing," developing solutions that disrupt systems of inequality and injustice. Partnering with local organisations, NGOs, academic institutions, governments, and businesses, GSL co-creates community-led volunteering programs that build resilience and address social and environmental challenges at their core. Rejecting aid dependency and white saviourism, we champion ethical, respectful, and equitable volunteering practices.
Initially, senior volunteers will meet with local communities—such as in Cameroon, Nepal, Malawi, and India—where GSL has contacts, to co-develop plans with local NGOs, providing them with essential training in strategic and project planning, equipping them to manage direct funding. Once plans are in place, volunteers will be recruited to support implementation in areas like IT, education, and healthcare. IT, education, healthcare, agriculture, business building and engineering.
Our GSL volunteers will act as ambassadors with the main emphasis of the transformative process being shifted to the local community. In other words, the local community takes centre stage.
Types of Volunteering:
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Individual
This programme is for adults looking to share individual skills and experience often in a teaching or youth development setting at one of our partner NGO’s. This could include teaching English in Thailand or supporting an education programme in Nepal or developing sustainable businesses for single mothers.
We also offer volunteers with higher levels of skills and experience the opportunity to help develop strategic, operational and technical policies with overseas partners. These could include developing strategic volunteering policies, training in project management, putting in place operating procedures, developing renewable energy and water management processes.
Highlights
So far, our individual volunteer programmes have…
- helped build and found corporate finance for a biogas unit in Cameroon
- helped build and found finance for a school for abandoned children in Nagaland
- run a children sponsorship program and transferred responsibility to local staff
- developed and found funding for sustainable single-mother business development
- developed a health education programme
- helped NGOs develop fund raising
As we build upon our commitment to helping small NGO’s and communities around the globe, our aim is to continue creating a positive impact through educating and advising local groups and individuals, by passing on vital leadership skills and experience to be implemented by them more autonomously and longer term.
Teaching in Thailand
Have you ever considered passing on your knowledge and experience as a teacher?
The Thai government want children to learn English and are always looking for native speakers to help. Currently, there is a real struggle for Thai children to “dare to speak”.
We work with a Thai partner organisation who offer short, medium and long-term volunteer teaching opportunities in city and countryside schools and for novice monks.
This could be your chance to make a real difference while also immersing yourself in Thai culture and living!
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Corporate
This programme focuses on mobilising the skills, energy and commitment of businesses and their employees to work together on specific challenges facing our partner NGO’s. This could include developing innovative solutions to water harvesting, supporting medical outreach to rural communities or creating sustainable business plans so that local communities may support themselves.
Highlights
So far, our corporate volunteer programmes have…
- provided staff to help design biogas units
- developed health education programs
- run a program for a multinational company to support the entrepreneurial aspirations of non-profits and social enterprises
- carried out a feasibility study for a renewable energy program in Nagaland
Group mentoring for local NGO’s
Global Support Link are on the lookout looking for companies or company-sponsored individuals to help develop a mental health program in Cameroon.
As part of CSR/ESG, you may wish to send a team overseas to mentor and help local NGO’s develop strategies, programs and volunteering programs in accordance with their needs.
Global Support Link can help your company develop these programs by drawing upon our collective expertise in volunteer management, community engagement, and strategic planning, offering consultancies tailored to your requirements.
Some examples include:
- developing comprehensive volunteering frameworks
- designing impactful volunteer-led community projects
- evaluating volunteer programme effectiveness
By partnering with nonprofits, social enterprise, government agencies, businesses,and academic institutions, we aim to strengthen volunteering ecosystems and create sustainable solutions to social challenges worldwide.
GSL aims to scale its operations to a social enterprise while realising its vision of building a better, fairer, and more equitable world through transformative and impactful volunteering initiatives.
