BY: ALYSSA MAHADEO
The volunteer work we partake in during our time at school prepares us for a future on our chosen career path. The knowledge we gain and the skills we learn pave our way and determine how we will venture into the world and make an impact.
Since 1961, CUSO International has been working to create a more connected world by reducing poverty and inequality through the efforts of volunteers, partners and donors. For the past fifty years, they have been unlocking human potential, creating a world where all people are able to realize their potential, develop their skills and participate fully in society.
CUSO International was founded by a group of Canadian University graduates who had a vision and took a leap of faith in making that vision a reality. They believe in the power of people and work to employ a people-centered approach to development and the challenge of overcoming poverty and inequality.
The graduates rallied hundreds of other young graduates across our great nation and founded CUSO, which stands for Canadian University Students Overseas. Each young volunteer took their role as a Canadian “ambassador” very seriously as they filled skill gaps in developing countries as teachers, nurses, and agriculturalists. Over the next few decades, as their partners became the educators, health care professionals, and farmers, the role of the volunteers evolved.
Today, their volunteers are experienced professionals who focus on building skills and transferring knowledge to our partners across Africa, South East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. They are committed to supporting their partners by allowing them to drive their own development, that everyone involved holds a stake in the effective development, and they seek to build on each other’s capabilities.
There are many ways that professionals, students, and graduates can become a volunteer with CUSO as they offer many different avenues to use your skills to be a force of change. CUSO International offers local, international, diaspora, corporate, community, and even customizable volunteer experiences to ensure everyone is able to give back in the capacity their schedule allows. They have implemented e-volunteer services as well as programs for young leaders and volunteers looking to take part in public outreach.
In an effort to continue building on their strong foundation of volunteer work CUSO has created the Young Leaders Overseas program which offers Canadian youth the chance to use their education and leadership skills to make a difference, not only in other people’s lives but also their own. This means that students who have graduated from a post-secondary program will have the chance to cultivate their skills and develop them working with partners abroad.
Through Young Leaders Overseas, Cuso International will send up to ten youths to support Cuso International partners achieve their goals. Those who are eligible to submit an application should be Canadians and permanent residents between the ages of 19 and 30 who have graduated from a post-secondary institution and have demonstrated leadership skills in the school, work or community.
The latest opportunity to join the Young Leaders Overseas will be departing in February/March 2018 for six to twelve months venturing to Honduras, Nicaragua or Cameroon. Applicants will be supporting Cuso International overseas partners by working in a variety of areas including entrepreneurship, technology, youth to youth mentorship community development, communications, and research.
Cuso International is looking for those who have an interest in international development and have demonstrated leadership in their school, work or community. CUSO is looking for those who want to make the world a better place and are willing to support people in making changes that improve their lives. This is a once in a lifetime personal and professional experience that will help students to grow their career while changing lives.
Applicants can apply through the job board at cusointernational.org, and the deadline is January 5th, 11:59 p.m. EST. Successful candidates who apply for the Young Leaders Overseas program receive a position in one of the four countries created for them to match their skills and experience such as Honduras, Nicaragua, and Cameroon. Applicants must be fluent in English for all placements. Applicants must be fluent in French for placements in Cameroon. Applicants must have intermediate to fluent Spanish for placements in Honduras and Nicaragua.
More information on the Young Leaders Overseas opportunity can be found online or questions can be sent directly to questions@cusointernational.org.
CUSO International values diversity. They recognize and care about the rights and dignity of others and they strive to live up to our commitments, to be fair and transparent in our work, and to act consistently in applying our principles.
Are you ready to kick-start your career using your leadership skills to make an impact in people’s lives around the world? Do your part in creating a world where all people are able to realize their potential, develop their skills and participate fully in society.
