‘If only every student could do this. It changes your life in all the right ways,’ says Chris Heritage, parent of Luke Heritage, one of our teen volunteers who has participated on two GVI programs, one in Costa Rica and another in South Africa.

We are a parent-run organisation that is incredibly serious about health and safety, and increasing the impact, as well as the long-term career benefits of our programs. Our programs help young people develop the skills to select a career path that is personally fulfilling, and live a life aligned to the well-being of our planet and the global community.

GVI is a proud member of the Gap Year Association.

Ken and Linda Jeffrey, whose son Sam volunteered with GVI in Thailand, talk about how the experience affected Sam. He also went on to volunteer with GVI again in South Africa. ‘I know it sounds like a cliche but in a sense, he did go away as a boy and he came back as a young man. Both of us could recommend GVI without any hesitation to any other parent thinking about exploring an opportunity for their children to explore the world and to see different parts of it.’

All of our programs have short-, mid- and long-term objectives that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.

Prior to your arrival on base, you will be educated about the UN SDGs. Then once you arrive on base, you’ll learn about the specific goals we have in this particular location, our various objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these.

Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to be an active global citizen after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.

GVI’s community hub in Ghana was set up as a result of an invitation to support education, gender equality and community development programs in the region. Over the last 20 years, Kokrobite’s economy and diversification has changed rapidly as the community transitions from the traditional way of life to a modern economy. GVI Ghana aims to assist in easing this transition. We assist schools in providing a higher level of education to students who will soon face fierce job competition amongst their contemporaries. We aim to assist with quality education through improved teaching methods and personalised student support. Our focus extends to holistic well-being, gender equality, economic empowerment via STEM training, and promoting environmental awareness for sustainable community management.

GVI Ghana works with the most vulnerable members of the community – providing knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources that allow people to gain greater control over their livelihoods and well-being.

You’ll assist our local partners by teaching English to primary and secondary school children, or working with equality organisations that promote young women’s and girls’ social and economic advancement through educational workshops. Public health also plays a huge role in educating the local community about how simple lifestyle changes can benefit their well-being in the long run.

Early years education

We aim to support traditional fishing communities in their efforts to improve the quality of basic education offered at schools. We do this by combining teaching, classroom assistance and one-to-one mentoring with students aged 2 to 16 years. Our work involves planning and delivering curriculum-based lessons, creative or sports activities, and one-off workshops focused on topics like oral health, hand washing and teacher training sessions.

Gender equality for girls

We’re committed to fighting gender disparities by empowering girls and young women through education. We believe education is a strong tool against cultural barriers that limit girls’ potential. Our programs revolve around the belief that educated, informed and confident girls have the power to transform not only their lives but also their communities and, on a larger scale, the entire nation.

Public health

This work focuses on women and children from vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds. We assist with building up access to, and understanding of healthcare issues. This includes planning and delivering workshops on current health concerns (for example, COVID-19), organising registration days where community members can sign into healthcare insurance schemes, organising talks on malaria prevention and treatment, and organising workshops and activities on reproductive health and family planning. We aim to help the community improve its understanding of – and access to – good health and well-being.

Below is a list of core ethics and best practices we believe are essential to the operation of high quality, ethical volunteer and sustainable development programs. We believe that all responsible volunteer and sustainable development operations should focus upon these principles. If you are considering volunteering, these are some of the key considerations you should question, to ensure that your time and money contributes towards positive change.

We want to constantly develop our own understanding of ethical best practice. In so doing, we aim to provide an exemplary industry standard for other education institutions, international development organisations, and social enterprises. Our Badge of Ethics stands for the drive to always do good, better. Find out more, click on the Badge below.