V.S.A. numbers increase

Press, 28 July 1989, Page 7

V.S.A. numbers increase

More New Zealanders are working overseas on Volunteer Service Abroad assignments than in any year since 1982. Other trends include a big increase in volunteers aged 21 to 30 going to the Western Pacific. The average age of volunteers has risen from 35 last year to 37 and there is an increase in the number of female volunteers from 58 per cent to 61 per cent V.S.A.’s 1988-89 annual report says at the end of March there were 87 volunteers in 16 Pacific, Asian and African countries, an increase of four on the previous year on 1986/87.

The report will be presented to the organisation’s annual meeting, to be held in Wellington this week-end. The Associate Minister of External Relations and Trade, Ms Wilde, will speak to members on the Government’s overseas development assistance programme and, in particular, its co-opera-tion with non-Government agencies, such as V.S.A. Recently returned volunteers Janice Griffioen, of Auckland, and Christina Reymer and Rob Powell, of Wellington, will describe their experiences in Malaysia and Papua Guinea.