As a VIP volunteer, you enter a special partnership with your host project and with an extended community of people, including co-workers, host family, project mentor, and your local coordinator from the host country office.

This challenging experience will give you an opportunity to provide service to others. It may also significantly change your life. You will gain valuable life skills and encounter different ways of doing things.

While specialized training is not usually required for VIP, we look for many qualities that make a successful volunteer: maturity, flexibility, common sense, enthusiasm, reliability, and sensitivity.

Your host community will benefit most from your sincere commitment and open-minded curiosity about local culture and individual lives.

At your host project, your success will depend on teamwork, creative problem solving, patience and openness to other points of view. Your co-workers will expect you to be a dependable, resourceful, motivated contributor who works well with others.

Your contributions will be much appreciated, even as you learn further from the skills and life experience of your new family. As you listen and adapt to circumstances, your friendships with local people will grow. They will welcome you and the goodwill you bring.

Some specific qualifications usually apply:

• The minimum age is 18
  
• You must be healthy and fit enough to adapt to living and working where host project conditions may be strenuous
  
  
• If you are applying to work with minors or others with special needs, background record checks may also be required
  
• Volunteers interested in joining a health program must have proof of their qualifications and/or experience in the health sector.
  
  In order to select a placement that meets your interests, skills and abilities, our staff must know if you have any requirements or needs that might affect your participation in certain activities or which might influence your placement in a host project. We strongly encourage you to make these factors known to the staff at your Sending Office.