Cuso International

Our mission is to reduce poverty and inequality through the efforts of volunteers, partners and donors.

Cuso International promotes people-centred development through:

•International volunteering – Long-term placements of up to two years, and short-term positions of six months or less, for skilled professionals. Volunteers come from the United States, Canada and many developing nations.

•Developing world 'National Volunteering' – Support for in-country volunteering, mobilizing people who contribute to their own communities.

•Diaspora communities volunteering – Support for people interested in 'giving back' their skills in their countries of birth or heritage.

•Business volunteering – Partner corporations release their employees to share critical business skills abroad through Cuso International postings.

•Public engagement and volunteering in North America – Raising awareness of – and action on – global issues at home.

In 1961, a group of Canadian university graduates had a vision of a more connected world. A world where the social constraints you are born into don’t dictate the entirety of your life. Where each human being has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Over the next few decades, as our partners became the educators, health care professionals and farmers, so evolved the role of the volunteers. Today, our volunteers are experienced professionals who focus on building skills and transferring knowledge to our partners across Africa, South East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. And, our name Cuso International reflects this change.