Ethiopia Volunteerism VMIS

UNDERSTANDING VOLUNTEERISM

Volunteerism is an activity undertaken using skills, interests and experiences of people for the benefit of the wider community. It is a choice born out of a personal desire to reach out to those in need – a natural tendency and practice in our culture.

NEW TO VOLUNTEERING

Volunteering is your personal commitment to promote a sense of belonging, wellbeing and self accomplishment. There are volunteering opportunities in your local areas that needs your help. Connecting your skills and talents with capacity building organizations and groups can help build and strengthen our communities.
Register with Volunteer Management Information System (VMIS) Portal of ACSO to start your volunteering today in your local area. Your active participation in volunteer programs can millions of Ethiopians to be instep with current developments and not be left behind.

YOUR SAFETY & SECURITY

Your privacy is important to us. In order to help make this website safe for everyone, we enforce Information Network Security Administration (INSA) Standards to protect private/personal information and images collected.
Parental Consent for teenage children below 18 years of age is required to register as a volunteer here. Parents or designated guardian’s supervision, email and phone number is required for validation, logging and updating their profile.

NATIONAL VOLUTEERISM POLICY OF ETHIOPIA

Effective implementation of volunteerism through the VMIS is expected to promote vast transformations in our society. This will assist our citizens and policy makers see the need for a consolidated National Volunteerism Policy with the aim of capitalizing on the contributions of volunteers in enhancing the works of our volunteer organizations, strengthen collaborative systems, and philanthropic works of our volunteers.
In 2010 EC, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs developed a draft of the National Volunteerism Policy of Ethiopia. It is currently under review and efforts have been made to pass the policy in the legislature in the near future. Ethiopia VMIS fosters a culture of volunteerism and philanthropy has set keystones to having the draft of the policy approved. We will provide the link as the National Volunteerism Policy of Ethiopia passes legislation.

ACSO's COMMITMENT TO SDG #17 THROUGH VOLUNTEERISM

Specifically,

Provide individuals from all walks of life regardless of gender, race, skills, age, education and physical abilities the opportunity to engage in community volunteer-involving activities;
Provide accessible link for individuals to use their skills and abilities volunteering with volunteer-involving organizations and community groups ;
Provide volunteer hosts, partners and private groups a platform to recruit national and international volunteers through VMIS;
Volunteer-hosting organizations through VMIS will access available human resources with valuable skills and abilities to carry out its humanitarian and development activities;
Expand nationwide volunteer participation; and,
Recognize the significant contribution of volunteers to Ethiopia’s GDP and overall national Sustainable Development Goals.

THE VITAL ROLE OF ACSO IN PROMOTING VOLUNTEERISM

Pursuant to Proclamation No. 1113/2019, ACSO will,

Foster the culture of philanthropy and volunteerism in our society;
Through Volunteer Management Information System (VMIS), ACSO can help engage individuals in volunteer-involving organizations’ capacity building activities in communities they belong;
Through VMIS, ACSO can collaborate with regional government bodies, NGOs, CSOs and individuals to recruit volunteers who will support volunteer-involving projects in various parts of our country; and
Provide an information center containing data of organizations operating in the country, sectors and regions in which they operate, number of beneficiaries; number of volunteers involved, and Provide periodic national volunteerism report to the government and related organizations;

REQUIRED INFORMATION AND USE

ACSO goes beyond recruiting volunteers by matching volunteers to the organizations and volunteer-involving activity(s). The following personal information are required:

Name and contact data: Your first and last name, email address, postal address, phone number, and other similar contact data.
Account information: Username, password and similar security information used for account access.
Demographic data: age, gender, country, region, city, and preferred language.
Parental Information and Consent for youth below 18 years of age: Parents’ contact information e.g., email address and phone number.
Credentials: Upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV), recommendation letters, certificates, professional registration/license, if any.

VMIS database of qualified volunteers that can be drawn upon by our volunteer-involving partners for future activities, upcoming assignments or mobilize volunteers in emergency situations such as responding to natural disasters.

VOLUNTEER SELECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

Completed profiles will be reviewed and applicants will be notified via email of your Volunteer Registration Approval status within 3 days. Applicant’s information will be forwarded to “matched” volunteer host/partner who will contact volunteers for further information regarding available volunteer-involving activities in the area.
VMIS will only maintain approved volunteer registration information until such a time when you are no longer volunteer. Volunteer profile must be periodically updated (especially after completing a volunteer placement) to facilitate connecting/re connecting to volunteer hosts with programs and activities in your area.
ETHIOPIA VOLUNTEERISM VMIS uses the International Volunteer Forum Standard as Criteria for Volunteer Acceptance/Screening other than being a woman and minority status: Volunteering Requirements, Age Limits, Education, Training & Work Experience, Language Requirements (reading, writing and speaking abilities), and Personal Characteristics, including previous volunteer experience.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR VOLUNTEERING

Guiding principles help ensure a commitment to developing and supporting volunteer involvement that benefits both the organization and the volunteers.
Volunteers have rights and responsibilities. Volunteers make a commitment and are accountable to the organization.

act with respect for the cause, the stakeholders, the organization and the community/beneficiaries.
carry out their involvement responsibly and with integrity.
respect, advocate, support and carryout her/his responsibilities to respect and protect human rights, people with disability, gender issues, etc.
participate in any necessary training and induction provided by the host organization, and
protect self.

VOLUNTEERISM PROTECTS: Preventing of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Gender Based Violence is referred to any form of sexual, physical, psychological, social as well as economical violence based on sex or gender that results in harming psychological, physical wellbeing and, growth and personality of an individual, including sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, rape, trafficking/forcing for commercial sex work. The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Constitution mandates respecting the rights to equality, dignity and freedom of humanity as per the International Human Rights Agreements and declarations with special attention to women, adolescent girls, children, the infirmed and people with disability.
Volunteer works are grounded on human rights framework and volunteers are guided and bound by the Volunteer Code of Conduct to protect the beneficiaries, the organization and themselves. Sexual violence, notably sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, violate universally recognized international Volunteering Norms and Standards.
The Six Core Principles (IASC, 2002) listed here set as the standard for the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:

Sexual exploitation and abuse by humanitarian workers constitute acts of gross misconduct and are grounds for termination of employment.
Sexual activity with children (persons under the age of 18) is prohibited. Mistaken belief regarding the age of a child is not a defense.
Exchange of money, employment, goods, assistance or services for sex, including sexual favours or other forms exploitative behaviour is prohibited.
Sexual relationships between humanitarian workers and beneficiaries are strongly discouraged since they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics.
Where humanitarian worker suspect or witness sexual abuse/exploitation, he/she must report such concerns or suspicions via established agency reporting mechanisms.
Humanitarian workers are obliged to create and maintain an environment which prevents sexual exploitation and abuse. They should promote the implementation of the code of conduct. Note: Humanitarian workers referred to here are volunteers.

Volunteerism Promote Social Inclusion and Equality

Individuals experience unequal power relations and inequalities as a result of social identities, gender, location, (dis)ability, wealth, education, age, ethnicity, etc. These are people “intersectionally marginalised” in our communities - a distinct structural inequality that sets them further behind. Vulnerable groups are at risk because they:

have inadequate representation or participation in leadership and decision making,
are discriminated due to their social identities or the stigma of being poor, and,
have restricted rights, little/no power or agency that limit their access to represent themselves and participate in their own development.
Invisible practices yet explicit of exploitation, intolerance, insensitivity, exclusion and inequality in our society.

It is important to recognise the power dynamics that exist between and among groups that impact control over access to resources and decision-making power. Volunteers working with the community leadership can build greater unity and partnerships around common development agendas, (dis)ability and gender issues, while addressing and reducing disregarded experiences in the community. Volunteerism can challenge negative practices that limit gender-roles, equal opportunities and (dis)ability by encouraging more people to understand the limiting influence of physical disability, non-participation, intolerance and insensitivity to their own community issues. With joint learning and shared understanding:

Volunteers and communities can empower each other to identify multiple dimensions and systems of inequality and intolerance,
use volunteer roles in shedding light in eliminating inequality and intolerance, and
use volunteer skills and expertise to influence distinct changing roles of genders in the 21st century,
create new experiences, promote better opportunities and valuable outcomes from development schemes for all involved.

KNOW THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF VOLUNTEER HOSTs, VOLUNTEER-INVOLVING ORGANIZATIONS (VIO’S):

VIOs protective shields for volunteers by providing:

providing volunteers with appropriate infrastructure for the discharge of their duties through relevant training and induction,
providing appropriate information on the nature and condition of the volunteer assignment,
ensuring safe, secure and healthy conditions at work, in accordance with the nature of the volunteer activity,
ensuring that an appropriate policy is in place for volunteers, covering eventual risks of accident or illness directly related to the volunteer activity in line with organizational policies,
reimbursing any expenses incurred by volunteers in fulfilling their volunteer tasks, up to reasonable limits,
be aware of any damages or injuries their volunteers may cause by any action or omission in the course their voluntary work, provided that the volunteers act with due diligence and in good faith, and
recognizing the contribution of volunteers with a token of appreciation or issue a certificate acknowledging their contribution at the end of their service

REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

Familiarize yourself with all the recommended Volunteering Information provided to gain better understanding of Ethiopia’s National Volunteerism Program.
Create a password and a username in the Volunteer Registration Form. Complete all required fields by providing the information needed. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and account.
Tick Off the box under the Terms and Conditions of VMIS.
Thereafter, complete My Profile. The information you will provide will be used to facilitate matching you with the volunteer-involving organization and volunteer activities in your area. Upload applicable certificates commendation letter, registration/professional license, if you have any.
VMIS will send you an email to confirm your registration or request for more information necessary to facilitate your registration.
Lastly, be reminded to update your profile after completing a placement to help us keep you involved in future volunteer activities.

CONTACT US

If you have a privacy concern, question regarding application, registration, or require more information on volunteerism from ACSO go to https://acso.gov.et website, or refer to the Contact us section of our website.