Our Objective:
Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū.
Volunteer Services Abroad (VSA) connects volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.
We are New Zealand's largest and most experienced volunteering agency working in international development, placing over 100 volunteers each year. For the last twenty years the VSA has been operating our Univol programme, a volunteering programme with assignments specifically designed with recent graduates in mind. Each assignment represents an amazing opportunity to get involved in developing capability and capacity across a number of key areas.
As this assignment is a part of our Univol programme, it is one of ten assignments we will be aiming to deploy to in early 2027. This assignment will be working across a youth programme seeking ways to support and enhance youth development in Apia, Samoa.
Our Partner and Assignment Summary:
For this assignment we have partnered with Teen Challenge Samoa (TCS). They began their operations in May 2017 under the umbrella of Apia Harvest Centre Church which is an English-speaking church of the Assemblies of God denomination in Samoa. TCS is committed to helping young people ranging from young teens through to young adults in their late twenties develop holistically by offering counselling and mentoring programs with a focus on developing and nurturing the whole person, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
A UniVol volunteer on this assignment would be deployed in Samoa early in 2027 to help support the team with their programme and outreach development, in addition to this support with organisational and process design would also be something the volunteer on this assignment could be working on. By the end of the assignment the aim would be for the team at TCS to have improved and strengthened a number of their processes.
About Samoa:
A volunteer deployed on this assignment would be based in Apia, Samoa. The TCS offices are in the Apia Harvest Church compound, a two minute walk from the VSA office in the township area, and close to a number of amenities. Volunteers would have access to work from the VSA offices and the TCS offices. As part of the Recruitment process for applicants progressing on this assignment, we would offer opportunities to connect with the team in country and former volunteers to learn more about Samoa prior to deployment.
Skills we are seeking:
We believe that for a volunteer to succeed on this assignment they would need a number of key skills. First and foremost we would be looking for a volunteer with amazing analysis skills, creative problem solving skills as well as organisational awareness. In terms of relevant academic background, we could consider applicants across a wide array of skill sets from Business Administration, Industrial Psychology, Communications, Finance and accounting to name a few. Unsurprisingly communication skills would also be key in both the ability to connect with who you are communicating with but also someone who can also pick up languages quickly, willingness to learn Samoan will be key to a volunteer having a positive experience on assignment.
Application Instructions:
If this opportunity is of interest, please apply through the link below. If you have any questions about this assignment or the Univol programme as a whole you are more than welcome to check in with the Recruitment team via email at volunteer@vsa.org.nz.
Please note applications will be closing in early August 2026, so get any applications or queries in prior to that as the team will be assessing applications and queries as they arrive.
Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū.
Volunteer Services Abroad (VSA) connects volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.
We are New Zealand's largest and most experienced volunteering agency working in international development, placing over 100 volunteers each year. For the last twenty years the VSA has been operating our Univol programme, a volunteering programme with assignments specifically designed with recent graduates in mind. Each assignment represents an amazing opportunity to get involved in developing capability and capacity across a number of key areas.
As this assignment is a part of our Univol programme, it is one of ten assignments we will be aiming to deploy to in early 2027. This assignment will be working across a youth programme seeking ways to support and enhance youth development in Apia, Samoa.
Our Partner and Assignment Summary:
For this assignment we have partnered with Teen Challenge Samoa (TCS). They began their operations in May 2017 under the umbrella of Apia Harvest Centre Church which is an English-speaking church of the Assemblies of God denomination in Samoa. TCS is committed to helping young people ranging from young teens through to young adults in their late twenties develop holistically by offering counselling and mentoring programs with a focus on developing and nurturing the whole person, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
A UniVol volunteer on this assignment would be deployed in Samoa early in 2027 to help support the team with their programme and outreach development, in addition to this support with organisational and process design would also be something the volunteer on this assignment could be working on. By the end of the assignment the aim would be for the team at TCS to have improved and strengthened a number of their processes.
About Samoa:
A volunteer deployed on this assignment would be based in Apia, Samoa. The TCS offices are in the Apia Harvest Church compound, a two minute walk from the VSA office in the township area, and close to a number of amenities. Volunteers would have access to work from the VSA offices and the TCS offices. As part of the Recruitment process for applicants progressing on this assignment, we would offer opportunities to connect with the team in country and former volunteers to learn more about Samoa prior to deployment.
Skills we are seeking:
We believe that for a volunteer to succeed on this assignment they would need a number of key skills. First and foremost we would be looking for a volunteer with amazing analysis skills, creative problem solving skills as well as organisational awareness. In terms of relevant academic background, we could consider applicants across a wide array of skill sets from Business Administration, Industrial Psychology, Communications, Finance and accounting to name a few. Unsurprisingly communication skills would also be key in both the ability to connect with who you are communicating with but also someone who can also pick up languages quickly, willingness to learn Samoan will be key to a volunteer having a positive experience on assignment.
Application Instructions:
If this opportunity is of interest, please apply through the link below. If you have any questions about this assignment or the Univol programme as a whole you are more than welcome to check in with the Recruitment team via email at volunteer@vsa.org.nz.
Please note applications will be closing in early August 2026, so get any applications or queries in prior to that as the team will be assessing applications and queries as they arrive.
We are looking for a volunteer with:
- Dive into a new cultural experience volunteering in Samoa
- Become part of an international development programme built for graduates
- VSA covers costs associated with travel, accommodation and basic living costs
VSA covers flights, accommodation, insurance and some expenses. A living allowance is also provided.
Does volunteering with one of the largest and most experienced agency in international development interest you?