THE agreement between the Government of Guyana and the Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO) has been terminated and replaced by a similar agreement with Cuso International, a parallel organisation with the same aims and objectives as the VSO, and which will essentially be replacing VSO in providing the same skills in the social sector.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon, made the announcement yesterday during his usual post-Cabinet press briefing at Office of the President on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive in Georgetown.
The government has agreed to accept a request by Cuso International to execute a similar arrangement as had obtained with VSO Guyana, which was re-established in 1989 in response to the needs of the nation. The VSO programme had developed in a diverse manner, with volunteer placements in areas of health, education, technology, natural resource management, business, and social and community development.
The volunteers aimed to live and work in ways that were sensitive to the cultural values of others. VSO Guyana had volunteers working in Region 2(Pomeroon/Supenaam), Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica), 5 (Mahaica/Berbice), 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne), 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), 9 (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice).