The Volunteer Service Abroad Te Tūao Tāwāhi (VSA) is celebrating 60 years today since the first volunteers were sent out from Aotearoa New Zealand through its programme.

Today’s event will be hosted at the New Zealand High Commissioner’s Residence at Ngatipa, and will highlight VSA’s focus on education, health, and sustainable development in the Pacific region.

As a leading organisation in international volunteer work in the region, VSA has been working in the Cook Islands since 1977 with seven volunteers, noted Tina Mackie, VSA programming manager for Cook Islands and Tonga.

The first assignments were education focused. The focus still remains on education, as well as the environment, health and wellbeing.

Since the inception of the programme, a total of 90 volunteers have shared their skills and knowledge in the Cook Islands.

The organization is proud to recognise over 4000 volunteers who have given their time, and the hundreds of organisations and individuals with strong ties in partnership with VSA.

Over the past 60 years, Volunteer Service Abroad have been making their mark in the development space, operating with remote, in-country, and local volunteer programmes across the Pacific and beyond.

“Our goal is to transfer the right resources, skills, and knowledge so that the impact achieved during an assignment remains long after a volunteer returns to Aotearoa New Zealand, creating a fair future for all,” stated VSA in a media release.

“We are proud of the contributions that we have made to the development of the Cook Islands, and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with our partners and supporters.”

VSA hopes to make a significant difference by working with people, partners, and communities to establish long-lasting relationships.

It is New Zealand’s largest and most experienced volunteering agency working in international development, and is funded by New Zealand MFAT (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade).