Frequently asked questions

Yes! Please come and help us help the children around us. We believe that everybody has something to give and share.
However, we also have a responsibility to protect the children and therefore we always require an official and recent Certificate of Good Conduct from volunteers. We only work with volunteers who are 25 years or older. The children we help need protection, consistency and professionalism, therefore it is best if they are helped by Macheo’s trained staff. But there are many ways in which you can help, for example by starting, evaluating or executing specific projects.

We will never ask for any financial contribution to come and volunteer in Macheo.

There will always be an interview before volunteering.

Macheo has signed the Kigali declaration of the International Volunteer Cooperation Organisations (IVCO).
This declaration states:

1. Accept the following definitions from the Global Standard for Volunteering for Development:

Volunteering for development draws on the skills of volunteers to work alongside people and communities to improve their quality of life and support their own capacities to help address poverty and inequality in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Volunteering for development activities must always aim to be impactful and responsible.

Impactful Volunteering delivers measurable and sustainable improvements for poor and marginalised communities that align to a country’s national development agendas and to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Responsible Volunteering ensures that volunteering activities are locally-identified and designed to respond to the needs of communities as defined by those communities. The selection and preparation of volunteers ensures they can deliver Impactful Volunteering in an equal partnership with the community. In the delivery of these activities, no harm will come to members of the community and volunteers.

2. Commit to the four principles that seek to advance quality in our work and that underpin the Global Standard for Volunteering for Development:

Designing and Delivering Projects
Communities, organisations and volunteers can expect to be involved in collaboratively-designed and effectively-delivered Volunteering for Development projects which respond to community needs and deliver impact and sustainable outcomes.

Duty of Care
The community can expect that organisations, and the people associated with them, will protect and will allow no harm to come to anyone in the community in which they operate, whether volunteers or local community members. Organisations recognise that they have a duty of care not to cause, or fail to prevent psychological or physical harm to volunteers, employees and other associates.

Managing Volunteers
Volunteers can expect to receive preparation, training and support which ensure effective, impactful and ongoing engagement in supporting development efforts locally and internationally.

Measuring Impact
Communities, funders and other stakeholders can expect that the intended impact of the project is identified by the community before the start and is tracked throughout, using information and insights from the community, volunteers and other relevant stakeholders. Project success is defined with the community.

Sometimes there are vacancies which will be published first internally and later externally. You can always send your CV and a letter of motivation to hr@macheo.org . We will then approach you when we have a fitting vacancy.

Yes! please do, and help us in this way. All the goods donated are being carefully administrated and we can guarantee they are being used as intended by you! This really helps us a lot and is a great way to share anything you might be able to share.