European Disaster Volunteers (EDV) and is an England and Wales registered charity which provides initial relief and long term recovery aid to disaster affected communities worldwide. Our roots are European, but our approach is global. We welcome volunteers and donors regardless of nationality.
EDV is based on a new model that has sprung up in reaction to the frustrations of ordinary citizens who found that they couldn’t contribute their time in a disaster zone. Many organisations won’t take unskilled volunteers into a disaster affected communities. So if you’re an average citizen who wants to help disaster survivors half a world away, your options have traditionally been limited to two: Pay for a “voluntourism” package, which can cost thousands, or make a donation.
Often when people buy a volunteer opportunity they’re left doubting whether the organisation wanted their work or their money. And while funding is important, there’s a satisfaction to working in a disaster zone that will never be matched by donating from afar.
In short, your money has been easy to contribute, but the time and the work you’re capable of doing was almost impossible to put to use in a disaster zone. We think that your work is the most valuable thing you have to give. That’s why we don’t charge a joining fee and don’t require any special skills. With the help of experienced volunteer leaders, ordinary citizens are capable of making an extraordinary contribution.
And what we think isn’t based on opinion. We’ve seen this idea acted upon in disaster zones around the world and we know it works.
This blog doesn’t belong to EDV, it belongs to me, so it won’t be only about the organisation. That said, EDV has become a huge part of my life, so EDV will be a big part of this blog. But you should know that if you’re looking for information strictly about EDV, check out our website, edvolunteers.org.
We hope you’ll get involved by following this blog, registering as a volunteer on our website, joining our facebook group, finding me on Twitter, or just shooting me an email. Media@europeandisastervolunteers.org
Welcome.
