Subsidy for VSAaid increased

VSAaid increased

The New Zealand Govern ment has agreed to meet 80% of the cost of sending 100 volunteers abroad under the New Zealand Volunteer Ser vice Abroad scheme.

The VSA scheme, which is privately administered but has widespread government and community support, sends New Zealanders to Pacific Island and other Third World countries to provide specialised skills in developing communi ties. The volunteers themselves are usually attached to govern ment staff, government agen cies, charitable or missionary

organisations. They are pro

vided with accommodation but are unpaid except for nominal

spending money.

Doctors, nurses, teachers and technical workers make up the bulk of New Zealand volun-

teers now serving in overseas

countries. Many are working

with other volunteers from Australia, Britain and USA.

The decision by the New Zealand Government to pay 80% of the cost of placing 100 volunteers in service overseas will initially apply for three years, and will be supple mented by grants already avail able under the New Zealand

government to government aid programmes.

Although the New Zealand Government is finding increas ing difficulty in maintaining its level of overseas aid, it agreed to pay the new grants following representations from the VSA.

This year’s allocation of funds will be SNZ222 000, an in crease of more than SNZ2O 000 over last year’s figure.

The government has also agreed to carry out an annual review of the work being undertaken by volunteers, and to consider whether financial support could be provided for a greater number of volun teers.

Some of the volunteers are assigned to projects which have direct New Zealand Govern ment support in overseas coun tries, and the government sees the VS A as an integral part of its overseas aid activities. One of these projects is the pro vision of teaching staff in the Cook Islands where six VSA

teachers are already working.

The VSA is represented on the New Zealand Advisory Committee on External Aid and Development, which chan nels recommendations through the Minister of Foreign Affairs and acts as an overseas aid liaison committee between the government and the com munity. It carries out regular reviews of New Zealand aid activities in developing coun tries.

Nursery manager Tuku Utalo tends young passlonfrult plants at Vaipapahi on Niue under an agricultural scheme sponsored by New Zealand aid.