Until six months ago, Dilshard Ahamed, 22, worked in his family-owned guesthouse. In his quiet manner he explains that while he only recently joined the Red Cross as a staff member, he has been volunteering with the Red Cross for the past 2 years. Drawing from his volunteer experience, he was able to provide first aid and, later, relief distribution when the devastating tsunami struck Sri Lanka.   Read article

After the Indian Ocean tsunami, Sri Lankan mother Indrani Nakandalage became a volunteer worker, almost by fluke, when friends from abroad started to send her money to buy provisions for the victims. Six months on, she tells her story -- how she has been able to bring back children's smiles and give them the chance to live life anew.  Read article

Alyson Peel lives at an orphanage in Hlatikulu in Swaziland, where she mentors 25 young girls orphaned by HIV/AIDS. As a US Peace Corps volunteer focusing on HIV outreach, she brings individuals from surrounding villages for testing and counseling, sets up HIV education programs for students and teachers, and is helping to establish a rural clinic to monitor HIV-positive children. This journal, appearing in WorldView magazine, chronicles her first weeks on the job.  Read article

Je suis étudiante à l'université et je crois que c'est très important de s'impliquer dans sa communauté, surtout puisqu'il y a un grand manque de bénévoles partout. Lors de la dernière année, je me suis impliquée dans Vrai Copain et à l'hôpital George.-L.-Dumont. Ces deux expériences m'ont amené une satisfaction personnelle, sachant que la vie d'autres personnes qui sont moins fortunées que moi a été améliorée grâce à mon engagement.  Read article

Empowering women in rural areas is an essential component of the sustainability of communities in the occupied Palestinian territories. The women I meet with in rural villages want to make a difference, to improve their future, and to gain greater security and meaning in their lives.  Read article