Skilled Adelaideans are being asked to picture themselves volunteering overseas in developing countries on International Volunteer Day (IVD), today.
A photo booth in Rundle Mall will allow passers-by to have their picture taken with a backdrop of a Bangladeshi village, which they can then share with their networks to generate discussion about overseas volunteering.
The initiative is designed to raise awareness of the Australian Volunteers for International Development program, an Australian Government, AusAID initiative.
The program deploys skilled volunteers to live and work in developing countries as part of the overseas aid program.
AusAID works in partnership with Adelaide-based program management company Austraining International to send volunteers overseas.
Austraining supports skilled Australians to share their skills and knowledge with communities Asia, the Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean through the Australian Volunteers program.
Austraining Director of Volunteering, Anthony Rologas, says many Adelaideans have the skills and experience necessary to help reduce poverty, but don’t realise it.
“From engineers to physiotherapists and education professionals, a wide range of professional skills are needed to address development needs across the globe,” Anthony says.
“These volunteers become a valuable part of the communities in which they work, enacting positive change from the ground up by working closely with local people and sharing skills and knowledge.
“International Volunteer Day is an important occasion to stop and reflect on their impact, and provides a call to action for other skilled Australians to consider volunteering overseas.”
This year’s International Volunteer Day (IVD) theme is ‘Celebrate volunteering’, encouraging the global community to celebrate the commitment and impact that volunteers bring to making the world a better place
To find out more about Australian Volunteers for International Development visit www.volunteering.austraining.com.au or www.ausaidvolunteers.gov.au
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