Volunteer with VSA

Change your scene and become a VSA Volunteer and share your experience, knowledge, and skills to transform the lives of many. Work with our partner organisation to create a fair future for all. 
 
VSA will organise and fund, flights, visas, insurance, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while on assignment. 

Please note VSA Volunteers must be a NZ citizen or permanent resident. 

Volunteering with VSA 
 
Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) is not your typical volunteering agency, we are committed to building sustainable communities across the Pacific. If you’re an experienced Mentor for Early Childhood Education Facilitator, looking for an extraordinary overseas experience in the Pacific to build into your field of expertise – working collaboratively with UNICEF and ALOLA Foundation, then read on, as we have an exciting opportunity in store for you!
 
Our Partner Organisation - UNICEF and ALOLA Foundation
UNICEF works in partnership with the Government of Timor-Leste, development partners and civil society to ensure the survival and development of children with specific focus on the poorest children to achieve global and national targets for child rights.
UNICEF has been working closely with the Government of Timor-Leste for realization of women’s and children’s rights. UNICEF and the Government of Timor-Leste has been working in partnership to improve the survival, development, participation and protection of children and women.
UNICEF programmes are aligned with the Government of Timor-Leste’s National Strategic Plan.
Alola Foundation is a not-for-profit non-government organization operating in Timor-Leste to improve the lives of women and children. Founded in 2001 by Former First Lady, Ms Kirsty Sword Gusmao, the organization supports arrange of initiatives to improve maternal and child health, create employment, promote human rights, strengthen community development, and improve the status of women.
The Foundation has previously worked to deliver preschool and primary school teacher training projects to address challenges with the Timorese education, including limited capacity and access to resources, large class sizes and teachers who have limited education themselves.
UNICEF is now working alongside the Alola Foundation to implement the Community Preschools Initiative. The initiative is supported through a partnership with the New Zealand Government, UNICEF New Zealand, the Morgan Foundation and H&M Foundation

The Assignment.

This assignment is a partnership assignment between VSA, UNICEF and ALOLA Foundation. In this assignment, a VSA volunteer will create training content for community-based pre-school facilitators focusing on play-based learning. Additionally, the volunteer will provide ongoing mentorship to filed officers, supporting their professional development and improving pedagogical skills.

The Volunteer

Are you someone who wants to make a difference, have a sense of adventure and like the challenge of being outside your comfort zone?  VSA Volunteers are technical experts who impart their skills and knowledge to the local community. You will need to be flexible, adaptable, resourceful, resilient with a passion for Aotearoa and the wider Pacific community.

We're looking for a volunteer with the following:

•  Tertiary qualification on early childhood education and/or solid experience working in the area of early childhood education/pre-school education.
•  Applied child centred play-based approaches in working with children.
•  Strong facilitation skills.
• Experience in mentoring and in providing capacity development support, including but not limited to training of teachers.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills
• Excellent written and oral English.
• Strong organisational and planning skills.

Desirable

• Experience in using participatory learning methods.
• Has an understanding of applying the UN Convention on the Rights of the child.
• Experience in working in a developing country in the area of education, particularly early childhood education.
• Ability to create teaching materials from existing local material.
• ICT skills.

The Country

There are 1,225,000 people living in Timor-Leste (formerly known as East Timor). Timor-Leste is one of the world's newest nations and the newest in Southeast Asia with history of colonisation and occupation.  Timor-Leste became independent in 2002.

Apply Now!

Apply for this amazing opportunity through our website. For more information on this assignment, email volunteer@vsa.org.nz.

To review the full assignment description please copy and paste the below link into your browser: https://vsa.org.nz/assets/Assignment-Descriptions-2019-2020/2024/TIM_42057_AD_Mentor-for-ECE-Facilitator_UNICEF_ALOLA_2024_Ermera-2.pd

If you are on the VSA website, please click on the download assignment description tab above.

We are looking for a volunteer with:

• Full time 12-months volunteering opportunity in Dili and Ermera, Timor-Leste
• Flights, accommodation and living expenses funded by VSA
• Change your scene and make a lasting difference in the lives of children