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Volunteer Alliance Blog
The Volunteer Alliance blog is an opportunity for us to showcase interesting volunteer stories from our members. It is also the place where we can update our members on the latest news and developments in international volunteering.
To build the Volunteer Alliance network, our founding members will be traveling to developing countries in 2012 to outreach to community based organizations and volunteers. Check back often for updates!
The end and beginning: 1000, 100
Mon, 04/16/2012 - 1:39am — Brian Somers
I'm writing this blog from a friend's house in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on my final night in Africa for what is likely a very long time, so bear with my nostalgia. It's been almost 6 months from the day I landed in Dar but the experiences and friends I've met along the way make it seem like much longer. In 7 days I'll be back in Oakland, CA waking up at 8am, eating life cereal, riding my bike to work, coming home at 6pm, dinner, etc. and I wonder how things will be different. They've got to be. After a trip like this something has changed. How long will it be until the office desk and routine make me split again?
Introducing the VA Ambassador Program
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 1:12am — Brian Somers
I'm excited to announce a couple of new developments for Volunteer Alliance. First, we've got a number of new organizations on the site from Namibia. Check out this incredible country, it's so freaking beautiful. And second, we're launching an amazing new program we're calling the VA Ambassador Program.
Waka Waka, This Time For Africa
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 6:05am — Cameron WestHappy 2012 everyone! This is going to be our year!
We have now been in South Africa for close to two months. And in that short time I have seen Volunteer Alliance grow from a good idea to an effective business with a whole heap of promise! We now have over 500 volunteer profiles and over 50 organisation profiles! This is really all the validation we need that what Volunteer Alliance is doing is what everyone wants.
South Africa... I mean Gee Whiz!
Thu, 12/29/2011 - 6:37am — Brian SomersHaving never been to, or heard much of, South Africa before I really had no idea what to expect after getting off the plane in Cape Town. As usual, there was the normal nervous --I have no idea where the hell I am-- feeling when I got out of the airport on my way to my first "backpackers" (hostel). Anyways, its been almost a month now and it's been f'ing incredible so I'm going to do my best to give the highlights (in no particular order):
A Supercharged Start!
Thu, 12/15/2011 - 6:15am — Cameron West
After 2 years developing our organization from opposite sides of the world, Brian and I finally meet in Cape Town, South Africa to begin our Southern Africa adventure.
As you can see, the website is now live, and looking great! After receiving a Google Grant to help advertise our website to international volunteers we are half the way to connecting international volunteers and community based organizations directly and making volunteering more accessible.
A little nervous... but freakin' exciting!
Thu, 04/07/2011 - 7:44pm — Brian Somers
This is our first blog post, so I think it's fitting to tell you how this all started:
In the summer of 2007 I was trying to figure out what to do with my time. Like most 23 year old college students, my primary concern was finding something to pump up my resume, but I had been too lazy to look for an internship and I really just wanted to travel anyways. So I came across this concept of going abroad to volunteer. Check resume pumpage, check travel.
