Volunteering for Development

By Nadeesha Jayasinghe, Uniterra Volunteer, Lanka Impact Investing Network, Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises contribute to 45% of GDP. Yet, only 25% of entrepreneurs are women. Low confidence, limited access to credit, and lack of financial literacy are some of the barriers which contribute to low representation of women’s entrepreneurship. Here is the…

Tourism is an important economic driver in Vietnam, one that currently employs close to two million workers and contributes 10% to national GDP. With the right skill set, workers in the tourism sector have the potential to earn wages that are double the national average. Unfortunately, the vast majority of young graduates are underqualified and…

Although Mongolia is the second largest cashmere producer in the world, after China, the Mongolian fibre sector is facing challenges in growth — one of the key constraints being the dramatic decrease of newcomers to the workforce in recent years.  In 2015, 65 percent of the fibre sector workforce was under the age of 35 — some…

A multi-national partnership for sustainable gender inclusivity in Mongolia By: Émilie MacIsaac, volunteer Gender and Youth Inclusion Advisor for the Uniterra Program The education sector in Mongolia is largely influenced by gender bias and stereotypes. Men are thought to be more capable of making a living regardless of education and thus receive much less support…

Optimizing Development Impact in the Global South The innovations of social entrepreneurs can create new, cost-effective pathways toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Canada and around the world. The overall aim of social enterprises is to apply business methods to solve social problems, including poverty, unemployment, social exclusion, climate change, food insecurity, gender-based…

Volunteering for sustainable development Whether it is in Canada or overseas, the work that we do greatly depends on the generous spirit of our volunteers. This year, more than 1,000 Local Committee members on 95 campuses across Canada have volunteered their time to raise awareness on development issues, and provide postsecondary education opportunities for refugee…

No matter which social or economic indicators are used to rank the world’s poorest countries, Malawi consistently rises to the top. The development prospects for this small, landlocked country in southeastern Africa are uncertain; its challenges on the economic front – among others – significant; and its record for women’s rights, disastrous. Despite this, Driana…

  By Nadia Lampkin, Volunteer Research and Policy Analyst, Uniterra program 58% and 45%. These are the staggering rates of anemia in children under 5 and women between the ages of 15 and 49 in Tanzania, respectively. The irony is that Tanzania’s agricultural production is both prolific and extremely diverse. But 15-40% of crops are…

By Karen Densky, Volunteer, English for Specific Purposes Advisor, Uniterra Program What can be accomplished in three weeks? That’s a question I asked myself when I accepted the Leave for Change assignment in Vietnam. My goal was to improve the quality of English language teaching at Saigon Hospitality and Tourism College (STHC), in order to…

The industrious sounds of construction echo throughout Accra. The Greater Accra Region is home to more than four million people, and that number is rising. Newcomers are pouring into the city every day, many of whom are searching for better opportunities. As a result, residential construction is booming. There is no shortage of work, as…