The New Zealand volunteer aid organisation, Volunteer Service Abroad, is offering short-term assignments for the first time.
Traditionally VSA volunteers are sent to regions for a two-year period, but next week, Ron Rowe, from Napier will go on a three-month assignment in Samoa.
He will be working with organisations like the Small Business Enterprise Centre Samoa, whose activities include trying to revive the export of taro to New Zealand.
VSA's Pacific programme manager, Dr Peter Swain, says VSA is diversifying because it has realised that one size doesn't fit all.
But he says the two-year assignments will remain the VSA standard.
"The assignments that we have planned currently, in Samoa and also in Solomon Islands, complement other work that is going on and provide short term impact to those programmes."
