By Alison Brandon, England / Poverty Activist team February 2025 How it all started.... I saw CICD advertised on Facebook in early December 2024. I took the decision to join CICD by Christmas 2024. What appealed to me was the opportunity to learn new skills and then apply these at the volunteer placement in Africa; to help people less fortunate than myself. Also I liked the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends whilst studying. ... and now: ready to go! Now, having spent nearly 5 months at CICD, I feel excited and motivated to go the Project...

By Gyi Lazary, Development Volunteer team / June 2025 I’ve always been interested in volunteer work and I had this feeling of wanting to give back to the community. So when I found CICD’s website I felt that the 10-months Development Instructor programme was perfect for me. What were the reasons? The Programme Structure It has 3 months training at CICD which prepares you for the 6 months you spend in the project country - in our case it is Malawi - and after coming back we have a month when we share our experience with the public. The Experience...

By Nicole Cianflone Mottola, Development Volunteer team / June 2025 My first weeks at CICD After completing my Bachelor's degree in History, I knew I wanted to take a moment to stop, reflect on what I had already done and plan my future. Intending to pursue my academic career in the field of human cooperation and human rights protection, I was specifically looking for an authentic and direct field experience that could both provide practical help and contribute to my personal and professional growth. After a long search, in March 2025 my choice fell on the 10-month “Development Volunteer” programme...

Imagine yourself at home watching TV... ........and following the news about the world. You are hearing about record-breaking heat waves in countries like Spain, the United States, and India. Severe and prolonged droughts in many African countries, and Brazil, for example. That's not all, though! You also hear about accelerated polar ice melt, species extinction, and coral bleaching caused by ocean warming. Everything looks so frightening that you might feel uncomfortable given the situation. You want to do something, but you do not know exactly what you can do or where to begin. You start to think and search, and...

By Franz Rodriguez Gualdrón, Colombia/ Development Volunteer team July 2024 I’ve always had a deep concern about time. It’s the one thing you can’t earn back, can’t buy more of, and shouldn’t waste. So when I decided to hit pause on my professional life in Colombia (I was working all over the country between private and public sector) it wasn’t just for a change of scenery. I wasn’t looking for a break. (even if I was sick and tired of being disappointed and frustrated with politics) I was looking to contribute, to engage, and to ensure that whatever came next...

By Emelli Laleska Souza, Brazil / Development Volunteer team April 20024 My journey from CICD to volunteer with DAPP Malawi, changed the way I see the world and deepened my commitment to continue working for a more just world, with opportunities for all. My experience at CICD was intense, challenging, and incredibly enriching. During the three months of preparation, I went through moments of great learning. One of the most remarkable aspects was the multicultural environment: colleagues from different parts of the world, especially some Brazilians, became like family to me, a little piece of home in a foreign country....

By Ariaidine Nunes da Silva, Brazil / Poverty Activist team February 2024. If you seek personal growth and an opportunity to truly get to know yourself, CICD can be the turning point. Go with an open mind – the journey will be worth it. I recommend this experience to anyone looking to live with more meaning It was undoubtedly one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I was looking for something that would unite purpose, learning, and contact with different cultures — and I found it in a space that allowed me to grow, question, and build something...

By Edoardo Zezza, Italy / Development Volunteer team April 2024 My name is Edoardo, I am 29 years old and I am from Turin, Italy. In the last years I have chosen a personal journey of research and change, driven by the desire to escape from a reality that I felt less and less like mine. What I was looking for was an experience capable of transforming me, of giving me back a more authentic sense of life and of myself. So I decided to join CICD to participate in a volunteer project in Zambia with Humana People to People:...

By Juan Pablo Prattz, Mexico, Development Volunteer team July 2024 Hi there, I’m Juan Pablo, from Mexico, and some time ago I had the opportunity to live a great experience in my life: I took part in an international volunteer program as a Development Instructor. After three months of training in CICD in the UK, I spent six months in DAPP Chilangoma, in the southern part of Malawi, working on educational and community development projects. I went there hoping to contribute… but I came back with much more than I ever expected—lessons, stories, friendships, and a deep personal transformation. Volunteering...

Ines Correia, Portugal: Helloo! My name is Inês Correia, I'm 28 years old from Lisbon and I studied entrepreneurship and social innovation. My roots are in a magic village in the countryside of Portugal, which has always led me to live between worlds, city and the countryside. Lately, my passion is to be in the middle of nature, be in tune with what it has to give me and leave a peaceful life, with good food, meaningful connections and Art I love travelling, connecting with different cultures and learning from them. I have been in the Gaia team for three...

During their 6 months volunteering with DAPP Zambia, Carla and Carolina had the opportunity to spend 2 weeks supporting one of DAPP-s Second Hand shops. Here they tell about their experiences: We received a job description about several tasks that were expected from us during our days helping in the DAPP Shop in Petauke. From enganging with the costumers and helping them to find suitable items, helping to prepare the shop to get better sales (new ideas, clothe the dummies with attractive clothes, organising the shoes and fallen clothes and hangers) and to work as a team with the people...

By Emelli Laleska, Development Volunteer team April 2024 You have certainly heard about volunteering or even had the opportunity to experience it. But if you haven't yet, allow me to share a bit of my experience. More than just donating time and effort, for me, volunteering is an experience that nourishes the soul, fills the heart, and sparks deep reflections. By the end of this text, I hope to inspire you to embark on this transformative journey as well. I came to give my help – but received much more… I believe that most people who engage in volunteering seek...

By Anna Ferello and Laura Hospital / Development Volunteer team July 2024 Anna and Laura  have been volunteering with Humana India at the teachers training (NeTT) in Baruasagar, district Jhansi, Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, since October 2024. Soon their 6 months are over and they will be heading back to CICD. We look forward to seeing them again soon and hear all about their experiences! Sports day with students and teachers On the 8th of January, we helped the Humana staff to organise a Sports Day Event for around 120 students. The objective of the event was for all students to...

By Santino Rossini, Argentina / Development Volunteer team April 2024 Santino shares his thoughts after volunteering for 6 months  at the Teachers Training College in Dowa, Malawi. " Throughout the entire process at CICD, I was filled with a mix of excitement and uncertainty, embarking on a long journey into the unknown. I had no idea what it would be like or how it would change me, but one thing was clear: it would change me forever. At first, I thought the journey would be smooth because I was full of enthusiasm at CICD. Meeting new friends who shared the...

By Ellen Nayara Kotai Costa. Brazil / Poverty Activist team August 2024 In my world before Malawi: From the very first moment of the day, I had to be immersed in networks of immediacy. Even when engaging in deeper reflections, everything had to be strategic to succeed— and now . To go viral. Likes, shares, metrics, studies, and absolute precision to achieve success today, tomorrow, and always. If I leave it for the next day, I’ve lost! But my tracking, my connections are missing. I lose my work. Everything is about timing! Oh, my followers! What time is it? When should...

By Rafael Nunes & Susan Steffensen Friday the 7th of February was a big day for the whole community here at CICD. 14 students had come back to the College after the last period of “Bringing it to the Public”. They had been giving presentations for hundreds of people in 8 countries about their development work in Zambia and Malawi. Together they finished their programme with a Graduation Party where all of us, students and staff, celebrated their achievements with a special evening programme. The students got their diplomas and enjoyed the speeches, remembering a lot of common experiences and...

By Emelli Laleska, Development Volunteer team April 2024 Malawi - one of the poorest countries in the world... Malawi is among the least developed and poorest countries in the world, with approximately 50% of the population living below the national poverty line and 25% in extreme poverty. This was the reality I expected to encounter. However, the project I was assigned to was located within one of the largest refugee camps in Africa, where the challenges were even greater. Being in direct contact with these two distinct realities—the local communities and the refugee camp—revealed not only the scarcity of resources...

By Carolina Ortiz, Colombia / Development Volunteer team October 2024 Hello everyone, I’m Carolina, from Colombia. During the last year in Colombia, I was looking for new challenges and experiences for my personal growth, especially wanting to have a different perspective on the world and on the realities that many other people live daily, and be able to help, even in a small way. While I was in this process, I came across CICD College, a place that sparked even more of my curiosity from the moment I learned about its programs and methodology, the opportunity to travel to Africa...

By Ellen Nayara Kotai Costa, Brazil / Poverty Activist team, August 2024 It's not a surprise that traveling abroad can be a change in our lives and bring remarkable memories. But have you ever thought about travel, study and volunteering all in one experience? CICD - College for International Co-operation and Development brings this unique opportunity to people around the world. Check out the 5 best reasons to join CICD: 1. Make friends from different countries in the world CICD is in England, a country that gathers people from everywhere and this also means that you will - for sure!...

By Elena Modesti, Climate Activist team October 2024 If you are thinking about joining CICD, or you have already taken that decision, you might be building up some expectations in your mind. Naturally, I did too, when I decided to join. And that is why here I will share with you my thoughts and expectations - compared to what I found here at CICD, so that some of your questions might find answers and bring you closer to this experience. What will the atmosphere and nature be like? When I started imagining what the place would be like, my primary...