World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Volunteer Cooperation Programme 2020-2027

World University Service of Canada (WUSC)
Volunteer Cooperation Programme 2020-2027

The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a Canadian non-profit organization that works to create opportunities for education, employment and empowerment for underprivileged youth and women worldwide.

There is a General Agreement on Development Cooperation between Canada and Sri Lanka dated 28th October 1992. Accordingly, WUSC has been delivering services in Sri Lanka for almost 30 years in the fields of TVET and skills development, particularly for youth, women and other specific target groups in Sri Lanka. From 2015 to 2020, a Volunteer program was implemented as per the agreements reached between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Government of Canada under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two parties on 03rd March 2016.

WUSC Volunteer Cooperation Programme 2020-2027 is implemented by WUSC over a period of 7 years to improve the lives and means of subsistence of marginalized persons in developing countries.  During the last two years volunteers were not dispatched from Canada due to the COVID-19 related travel restrictions. Currently, Canada is planning to resume volunteer services to Sri Lanka under the above Programme. The purpose of the implementation of this programme in Sri Lanka is to build the capacity of the partner organizations of the country. The potential partners of the project includes government, non-governmental, private and social enterprise sectors in Sri Lanka.

The total contribution of Canada for the implementation of this programme in Sri Lanka is approximately two million, seven hundred and sixty two thousand and eight hundred fifty two Canadian dollars (CAD 2,762,852.00) for the period of 2020-2027.

In this connection, Mr. K M M Siriwardana, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization & National Policies, on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, and His Excellency Mr. David McKinnon, High Commissioner of Canada to Sri Lanka, on behalf of Government of Canada, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 15th August 2022 at the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization & National Policies.