Community Development Volunteer Programmes

Community Development Volunteer Programmes: Empowering Local Communities, Creating Global Impact

Global change starts locally and you can contribute to community development projects across the world with Vocational Impact’s Community Development Volunteer Programmes.

You’ll have a unique opportunity to examine the central issues facing communities in developing countries while gaining practical skills and making a positive impact.

Whether you choose to volunteer in Ghana, South Africa, or India, each placement focuses on cultural and community development, addressing key challenges such as women’s empowerment, gender equality, and access to healthcare.

Start your community development adventure today and be part of the change!

VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Make a Global Impact: Join our Community Development Volunteer Programmes and contribute to positive change in local communities worldwide.

  • Diverse Opportunities: Engage in cultural and community development projects, empowering individuals and fostering sustainable development.

  • Practical Experience: Gain valuable skills and practical work experience in areas such as education, women’s empowerment, healthcare, and more.

  • Tailored Support: Benefit from 1-1 guidance and a personalised experience, ensuring your journey aligns with your interests and goals.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Community Development Volunteer Programme in India
Volunteer at our foundation that provides holistic care for children living with HIV/AIDS. Help out with development projects to support the children, from sustainability and creative arts to literacy and book clubs. Lead projects and engage directly with locals to make an impact on the wider community.
Location: Jaipur, India
Price: From £325
Duration: 1-12 weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support
Business & NGO Management Volunteer Programme In India
Gain practical experience and skills volunteering with an active NGO focused on sustainable community development. Work directly on projects and develop skills in marketing, statistics, governance, education, policy and broader business.
Location: Jaipur, India
Price: From £325
Duration: 1-12 weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support
Community Development Volunteer Programme In South Africa
Help at our foundation that provides holistic care for mothers and children living with HIV/AIDS. This community village provides housing and a safe environment for families. Assist with development projects to support the children, from workshops and mentoring to literacy and book clubs. Lead projects and engage directly with the residents of the community.
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Price: From £325
Duration: 1-12 weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support
Business & Ngo Management Volunteer Programme in South Africa
Gain practical experience and skills volunteering with an active NGO focused on sustainable community development. Work directly on projects and develop skills in marketing, statistics, governance, education, policy and broader business.
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Price: From £325
Duration: 1-12 weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support
Business & NGO Management Volunteer Programme In Ghana
Gain practical experience and skills volunteering with an active NGO focused on sustainable community development. Work directly on projects and develop skills in marketing, statistics, governance, education, policy and broader business.
Location: Senya Beraku, Ghana
Price: From £325
Duration: 1-12 Weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support
Community Development Volunteer Programme In Ghana
Volunteer at our foundation that provides holistic care to vulnerable children.
Location: Senya Beraku, Ghana
Price: From £325
Duration: 1-12 Weeks +
Dates: 1st week of every month (flexible start dates offered)
Age: 18+
Includes: Accommodation, meals, airport pickup/dropoff, in-country transport, professional programme development, 24/7 support

WHY VOLUNTEER WITH 

VOCATIONAL IMPACT?

We were founded with a goal to turn the volunteer travel industry on its head.

It’s simple really, the largest percentage of your donation goes directly to our long-term partner projects and we match your unique skills and goals to the place they’ll make the most impact.

We prioritise the sustainable development of communities around the world and want people to have rewarding experiences that they know really make a difference to the people they’re working with.

Get in touch with our volunteer coordinators to understand how your tailor-made programme can directly support projects across the world whilst giving you the professional experience that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Hear from our volunteers

Hands-on and Practical Psychology Experience
The psychology placement was very insightful. It was a very hands-on and practical experience that I will carry through my life as I wish to be a clinical psychologist. I was mainly involved in clinical history taking of patients with addiction (primarily alcohol and opium) and I also sat in on diagnostic sessions with the Dr. I learnt about clinical assessment in psychology, delved into the DSM and ICD-10, learned about psychiatric diagnosis and addictions, and helped run anxiety and depression tests for clients.

Spending time with the kids in the afternoon was wonderful! I feel like I have made friends for life. Meeting the kids and Smriti aunt and seeing the life she has built for them and the experiences she ensures they have was truly inspiring. Also seeing the children’s love for each other and how they built their own family away from their birth givers was great.
Pavani Duggal
University of St Andrews
December 2023
It Helped Me Understand Myself More
This was the first time I got to engage with Clinical Psychology practically. A lot of my studies (as a Law student) focus on the theory of rehabilitation, but I got to actually sit in rehab clinics and engage with the clients, which really helped put my studies into practice. As someone who wants to go into Clinical-Forensic Psychology, but is currently studying Law, this Psychology work experience will definitely benefit me when I do my Master’s.

When I was in the Psychology Department I got to learn and contribute to some of the case studies that were being taught to the Psychiatric Nurse students. The rehabilitation clinic had a visiting group of Americans who made us all have counselling sessions, along with the clients. Hearing everyone’s own stories as well as giving my own contributions really helped me understand myself more.
Marilyn Gomes
University of Cambridge
December 2023
Priceless Once-in-a-lifetime Experience in India
I really had the best time!! I want to thank Vocational Impact because it was very well organized, and I felt very safe and taken care of. I’m very grateful for all the work you guys put in! Overall, my experience and impressions of my time in India were impressive, unmatched and priceless, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is hard for me to generally put into words what I learned and how much I feel I have grown during this time.

I cultivated so much compassion, empathy, and understanding that this will definitely help me in my future profession. I will be able to have a better understanding of situations that I cannot directly relate to. It gives me understanding and perspective for things that are not my own. I understand hardship on a new level and this understanding creates empathy and this empathy can only be of benefit for a psychotherapist.
Lena Funk
Erasmus University Rotterdam
November 2023
Life-changing Psychology Experience in Ghana
This was probably one of the most amazing but also the hardest and most intense experiences of my life to date. I was involved in some major breakthroughs with some of the rehab, bipolar & anger management patients. I also helped do a lot of psychoeducation on diagnosis and the brain, in both the male ward and rehab clinic and the counsellors let me write up the reports. This was all such an incredible experience and has really helped my professional and career development.

My time at the Psychiatric Hospital was phenomenal. It really was a life-changing, eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and incredibly rewarding experience. Tony, the coordinator there, was so inspiring, and the level of organization and care at the facility was truly impressive.
Jess Walch
University of Adelaide
October 2023

GET INSPIRED

Researching the cost of volunteering abroad? Check out these essential tips for fundraising success.

"International volunteering gives you cross-cultural experiences and understandings of your subject field - learning and applying your psych knowledge outside the classroom whilst having an amazing international travel experience - why wouldn’t you want to go?!"

Thinking of boosting your psychology career with real-world experience? Discover how volunteering abroad can be a game-changer for psychology students.

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