AJWS Volunteer Corps places professional Jewish women and men on volunteer assignments with local NGOs in developing countries. Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and provide skills training, technical consultancy and general support. VC volunteers range in age from young professionals to retirees, and share a passion for service and a commitment to social justice and tikkun olam.
Successful volunteer placements leave NGO staff members with skills they will utilize long after the assignment ends. Through exchanging best practices, AJWS Volunteer Corps participants promote the sustainable development of community-based NGOs.
Volunteer placements are based on requests for volunteers from NGOs and the volunteer's professional background.
Assignment Locations
AJWS Volunteer Corps places volunteers in the following countries:
Africa: Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal
Americas: Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Peru, Mexico, Dominican Republic Asia: India, Thailand, CambodiaAJWS volunteers are occasionally sent to countries not listed above. Assignment LengthPlacements range in length from two months to one year. The average placement is three to four months long. Assignment length is determined by volunteer availability. Apply:
Please click here to download an application and reference form. For more information about volunteering through AJWS, please e-mail us or call Andrea Richardson, Program Officer, at 212.792.2888. More information here
About AJWS World Partners Fellowship
AJWS World Partners Fellowship is awarded to Jewish recent college graduates and young professionals who wish to volunteer at an NGO, live independently in a developing country and participate in a peer-learning community. Fellows learn about human rights in an international context, explore the Jewish values that motivate their work and gain skills to prepare their entrance into careers dedicated to social justice.
The fellowship has two main components:
- Volunteer placement: Fellows serve as volunteers with NGOs for a minimum of nine months. Fellows provide needed skills and service to their host NGOs while gaining overseas work experience.
- Professional and leadership development: Fellows participate in an orientation, regional retreats, online education and a closing domestic conference. This interactive educational component prepares fellows for leadership roles as advocates for social change in their professional lives and communities when they return home.
