This field report from Laos shares insights from VWB’s Senior Program Officer, Megan Sylka, highlighting how the VETS program, in partnership with CARE Laos, is empowering women, improving animal health, and helping farming communities build climate resilience through sustainable agriculture and One Health practices.
Watch a replay of our World Environment Day 2025 webinar which showcased the voices of VWB’s VETS volunteers working alongside local partners to advance climate-smart agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and One Health solutions. The panelists shared community-led approaches, environmental challenges, and practical innovations from Cambodia, Kenya, and Laos.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you the stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. Meet Zainab Baqiri, a Climate Change Advisor who spent four months in Laos (August–November 2024) working with CARE to strengthen climate resilience and adaptation strategies for vulnerable communities.
#VETSVolunteerVoices brings you the stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. Meet Dr. Alina Cota-Merlo (DVM), a Gender and Livelihood Advisor who spent three months in Laos (August – November 2024), supporting gender equality, sustainable agriculture, and community-led development.
Watch a replay of our International Volunteer Day 2024 webinar to celebrate the power of volunteerism and the work of our VETS program volunteers, while also learning about the intersection of gender and climate in Laos.
#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you the stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. This blog (part 3 of 3) was contributed by Izabela Wlodarczyk, a Communications Volunteer with our VETS program in Laos (Feb-June 2024).
#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you the stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. This blog (part 2 of 3) was contributed by Izabela Wlodarczyk, a Communications Volunteer with our VETS program in Laos (Feb-June 2024).
#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you the stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. This blog (part 1 of 3) was contributed by Izabela Wlodarczyk, a Communications Volunteer with our VETS program in Laos (Feb-June 2024).
The Animals & Ales Pet Photo Contest has officially come to a close! Thanks to our amazing participants, voters, and supporters, we raised over $102,000 to provide critical veterinary care for animals in need. Meet the winners and runners-up.
Register now for our upcoming Women's Month 2026 webinar which explores how volunteer exchange strengthens animal health systems, supports women’s leadership, and creates mutual learning between volunteers and communities.
In this edition of #VETSVolunteerVoices, we shift perspective — from volunteer reflections to the voice of a local leader shaping change on the ground. Dr. Victoria Norgbey has dedicated over four decades to strengthening Ghana’s poultry sector and empowering women through WIPVaC-Apex Ghana, a key VETS partner.
