Health and safety are our top priorities

Travelling with VESA

Our VESA volunteer program directors are travel veterans with years of experience under their belts. They’ve tackled the farthest stretches of the globe, and are highly skilled in tour leadership and emergency protocol should anything happen while on project.

Each VESA destination has been carefully selected to both maximise the impact of our assistance to the local community and to ensure the safety and enjoyment of our volunteers, comprised of mainly young people from universities and colleges around the world.

All VESA staff members are fully trained in first aid

VESA’s leaders have all undergone first aid training, which is updated as necessary. A full first aid kit is kept with our staff members at all times – on volunteer work and on all our adventure activities.

Vaccinations

VESA recommends that you visit a travel doctor or your local medical practitioner for advice on which vaccinations are required for your respective project country.

Risk Assessments and Local Knowledge

Thorough safety checks and risk assessments are conducted throughout all our volunteer worksites, adventure activities and tour providers. Where necessary security is utilised and professional guides who are familiar with the cultural customs, wildlife, flora and geography are employed directly by VESA.

Help is never far away

Ecuador:
Our volunteering base in Ecuador has a nearby medical clinic and additionally there is an international standard hospital thirty minutes away by car. Tena also has private doctors available. Our Ecuador manager lives in a nearby town with her Ecuadorian husband, speaks fluent Spanish and knows the area well. You will always be in safe hands.

Fiji:
While on your volunteer program in Fiji, large local and private hospitals are a short drive away. On the islands there are small medical clinics that can be visited.

South Africa:
St Lucia, our home away from home in South Africa, has hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, all in very close proximity of our accommodation. St Lucia is a gated community and our Hostel employs 24-hour security.

Laos:
While on your volunteer program in Laos, there is a private clinic in Vientiane and small local medical clinics that can be visited.

Safety in numbers

For many of our volunteers, this is their first time overseas. Our projects are a great opportunity for first time travellers to experience new cultures and explore their independence, widen their horizons and develop a taste for world travel while having the security of experienced guides and a like-minded team around them.