Viatores Christi

BACKGROUND 

VC (Viatores Christi) is a development and training organisation (with its HQ in Ireland and a regional office in Kampala, Uganda) working within faith-based international development. VC works with over 20 partners across a range of sectors and countries. VC addresses needs through development and humanitarian assistance interventions and recruits, trains and places skilled volunteer personnel. Annually over 109,000 individuals directly benefit from the work of VC across partners in the areas of health, education, human rights, income generation and livelihoods.  The organisation is funded by Irish Aid through its intermediary Misean Cara. VC is also engaged with EU Aid Volunteering Initiative (EUAVI) and Erasmus+ projects.

VC supports marginalised communities by identifying and addressing clearly defined needs, tackling the root causes of poverty and working in solidarity with local community staff.

It is a fully certified volunteer sending organisation under the EU volunteering initiative and is one of the longest established volunteer sending agencies in Ireland which trains and places volunteers on medium to long-term placements.

In 2021 VC launched its new online training programme for development practitioners called Upskills.  This affordable low cost training aims to provide practical skills in the area of project cycle management and monitoring as well as contextual content in areas such as community development, globalisation, and more general global citizenship content.

For volunteers, VC provides a range of supports such as long and medium-term opportunities for volunteer deployments across a wide range of sectors, comprehensive training and preparation and financial support for volunteers including contributions towards flights, vaccinations and visa, a living allowance, insurance and accommodation.

VC partners are NGOs managing development or humanitarian projects in marginalised communities, and EU consortium partners engaging in volunteer deployment.

 CURRENT PROJECTS

The organisation is working with Abilis Foundation in Finland on a two year pilot ERASMUS+ project to create an accessible and inclusive Global Citizenship Education module as part of it Venture Training programme.

 VC works in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Over the past year, VC volunteers have had a positive impact on the lives of almost 108,000 people in nine countries helping to build the ‘social infrastructure’ – individual skills and institutional capacity – critical to all countries.

For more information please visit: https://vcvolunteers.ie/