At the event, islanders will find out more about the 2025 JOA volunteering projects which are open to everyone over the age of 18. There will be an opportunity to talk to JOA volunteers who have been working with overseas communities throughout 2024 who will share their experiences on how to prepare and what to expect from projects. Importantly, islanders will also hear from Eliza Sthapit, National Director for Habitat for Humanity International Nepal about how responsible volunteering intersects with international development as well as the global connectedness and solidarity that volunteering projects deliver.
Eliza has almost two decades of experience in conceptualising and designing international development programmes, in countries such as Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Kyrgyzstan. She joined Habitat for Humanity International Nepal as the National Director in July 2022 and currently serves a team of around 50. A native of Nepal, she has previously worked with Clean Energy Nepal, WWF, DANIDA and most recently spent ten years with Dutch International Development Agency, ICCO Cooperation/Cordaid.
JOA has partnered with Habitat for Humanity on a number of international development programmes since 2011. In 2024, for the first time, JOA assigned a team of volunteers to work with Habitat for Humanity in Malawi on their renowned Global Village project and those volunteers have recently returned to Jersey.
The 14 strong team spent a week in Magombo Village, TA, Chitukula, where they worked closely with the local community and beneficiaries as part of a housing programme that aims to improve living conditions for 6,200 people. This support meant community members were more able to balance the build with their own income-generating activities, family care and farming – a key pillar of the ongoing, Global Village programme.
JOA’s Programme Associate, Richard Crane, was amongst the team of volunteers. “This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Under the guidance of JOA, we seamlessly integrated into Habitat for Humanity’s mission, building two houses for the most vulnerable community members. While the impact on the beneficiaries was visible, this experience's profound effect on me and my personal development was beyond anything I could have anticipated.”
JOA has seen record numbers of applications for volunteering projects in recent years and islanders who are interested in joining one of these hugely rewarding programmes in 2025 are invited to come along to the event to find out more.
“We are incredibly proud of our volunteering programme and were thrilled that last year so many Islanders showed an interest in international development and were willing to give their time and their skills to benefit others,” said Deputy Carolyn Labey, Jersey’s Minister for International Development. “We look forward to hearing from Eliza about the ongoing work of Habitat for Humanity and how our volunteers have helped to deliver impact as part of the Global Village programme. It’s also a great opportunity for islanders to chat to previous volunteers to hear about their experiences.”
JOA will be delivering a number of volunteering opportunities in 2025 as well as continuing to further develop online and skilled volunteering opportunities including Accountancy, Education and Health.
Bursaries - In addition to its volunteering programme, JOA also offers personal and professional bursaries which are funding opportunities for Jersey residents who want to use their skills to make a difference to people living in poverty overseas. For more information, please visit www.joa.je/get-involved/bursaries.
Tickets are free and can be booked at Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/970702877437?aff=oddtdtcreator . The event will take place from 5:45pm-7.15pm at the Royal Yacht Hotel.