Philosophy

We work in economically developing countries generating partnerships with civil society organisations on the ground. Our partners address issues of poverty reduction, environmental protection and social justice on their own terms. Through 2Way Development, these organisations have a direct link to skilled volunteers that would otherwise be unavailable. By assisting with capacity building, volunteers can contribute to development in a sustainable way, whilst building their own skills and knowledge. Our placements are about an equal exchange of benefits between our partners and our volunteers.

Volunteers

All our placements are personally tailored to suit a volunteer's skills and abilities. That's why we only take on skilled individuals - with either a formal education in the area they are pursuing abroad, or at least two years experience in a relevant field. Except in rare cases, volunteers are aged 21 or over. All our volunteers undergo a CRB check, and we verify their qualifications and experiences. We provide volunteers with advice on planning their placement - issues such as travel, visas, vaccinations, insurance and health and safety. Volunteers use this information to help them in their responsibility of organising the practical details of their placement.

Partners

Our partners are not-not-for-profit, civil society organisations that are locally run, addressing issues of poverty reduction, environmental protection or social justice. All of our partners undergo a comprehensive vetting process to ensure they are suitable as a host organisation and in genuine need of volunteer skills. Partners are responsible for volunteers while they are abroad, for meeting them at the airport, providing an initial orientation period, and arranging accommodation. They also provide volunteers with a supervisor throughout their placement.

All our partners are vetted before we recommend them to volunteers and we keep in close contact with our partners so that we can give volunteers lots of up-to-date background information to help make their placement choices. We have developed an application process for our partners that allows us to learn about key aspects of their work including staffing structures, volunteer needs, financial status, and beneficiaries.