LEAVE FOR CHANGE
Short-term International Volunteer Assignments
Developing skills in the developing world

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A new component within Uniterra that started in 2006/2007 called Leave for Change brings short term highly skilled professionals from private and public Canadian organizations.

Leave for Change:

  • enables employees from participating organizations in Canada to transform part of their annual leave into a 2 or 3 week volunteer assignment in a developing country.
  • enables these volunteers to contribute their skills and expertise to an international development project with the support of professionals in the host country

How it works:

The Employee contributes by:
  • providing his/her services without monetary
    compensation as an international volunteer
  • volunteering overseas for approximately 2 to 3 weeks
  • volunteering overseas for approximately 2 to 3 weeks
  • participating in two days of pre-departure training
  • sharing his/her knowledge and skills with a local partner during the assignment
  • communicating his/her experience with coworkers through presentations, newsletter articles, etc

The Employer contributes by:

  • sponsoring the employee and allowing him/her to share the Leave for Change experience in the workplace
  • facilitating the volunteer selection process
  • permitting employees to share their Leave for Change experience with co-workers before and after the assignment
  • covering a part of the costs through the payment of 5000$ per Volunteer employee

Uniterra contributes by:

  • Managing the volunteer selection process
  • Providing pre-departure training and covering the following costs: vaccinations, insurance, airfare, lodging and daily stipend
  • Facilitating the volunteer's integration into the local partner's work team
  • Coordinating transportation and other in-field logistics as well as integration with the local partner
  • Monitoring the well-being and security of the employee
  • Assisting the Leave for Change volunteer with his/her communication activities, with the employer's approval
  • supporting partners in developing mandates
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CECI has hosted 3 Leave for Change Volunteers since July 2007

Sean Yo - Web site Developer and Instructor
Wayne Alexander Johnston - Database Management Expert
Frebis Jean Hoffmeyer - Database Management Trainer


Visit UNITERRA's Global Web site to learn more on the Leave for Change Program
To Find out more about CECI's global programs, please visit the CECI Headquarters web site by clicking here.