Our bold vision and mission
Our Vision is an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable world where all people are treated with dignity and can participate fully in society.
Our Mission is to share skills for better futures.
Our Strategic Goal is to work with our partners to address the root causes of inequality and improve the economic and social conditions of marginalized groups.
The values that drive us
Courage
Inclusion
What we do
We are an international cooperation and development organization that works to create economic and social opportunities for marginalized groups. Together with our partners, we are focused on efforts to advance gender equality and social inclusion, improve economic resilience, and deliver progress on climate action. We believe that by sharing skills, we can build better futures. Founded in 1961, Cuso International works in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Canada.
Our story
Since 1961, Cuso International has undergone a number of changes to become the organization we are today. Almost six decades on, we are still anchored by our vision to create a world where all people are able to realize their potential, develop their skills and participate fully in society. We do this by working with our organizational partners to develop and deliver programs that tackle poverty and inequality. For certain projects, we connect communities with skilled volunteers who share their knowledge to build lasting and positive change.
Cuso International was created by a group of Canadian university graduates on June 6, 1961. They had a vision of a more connected world. A world where the social constraints people are born into wouldn’t dictate the entirety of their life.
These young people took a great leap of faith, rallied hundreds of other young graduates across Canada and founded Canadian University Service Overseas. Each young volunteer took their role as a Canadian “ambassador” very seriously as they filled skill gaps in developing countries as teachers, nurses and agriculturalists.
Over the next few decades as these early partners became the educators, health care professionals and natural resource managers, Cuso International shifted its focus to tackling the root causes of poverty and inequality. Today, we work with our partners to amplify their impact in their communities to advance gender equality, increase access to education, develop economic opportunities and enhance women and girls’ health. Cuso International is a registered charity in Canada and the United States.
Meet Our Team
Board of Directors
Darrell Gregersen
Co-chair
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Lori Spadorcia
Co-chair
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Denise Amyot
Director
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Grant Curtis
Director
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Zahra Esmail
Director
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Alejandro Jose Terrones
Director
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Rosemary McCarney
Director
Perth, Ontario, Canada
Robert McGuire
Director
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Ethel Mwecha
Director
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Christian Paradis
Director
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Gabriela Polanco-Sorto
Director
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Rob Turpin
Treasurer
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Pearl Veenema
Director
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Leadership
Nicolas Moyer
Chief Executive Officer
Cory Leblanc
Chief Operating Officer
'Bomi Awesu
Director Global Talent
Yvette Macabuag
Director Impact
Nicole Tobin
Director Program Development
Sally J M Douglas
Director Engagement