Our history
Millions of people in Africa depend on their livestock. VSF-NL supports and trains local African farmers to keep their animals healthy. This way, they can build a better future for themselves and their communities.
How was Vétérinaires Sans Frontières – The Netherlands established?
In 1987, the foundation DIO (Diergeneeskunde in Ontwikkelingssamenwerking; Veterinary Medicine in Development Aid) was founded by veterinarians at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Utrecht. The foundation was mostly run by volunteers, mainly students of the same faculty. In 1989, DIO joins Vétérinaires sans Frontières International (VSF-I).
In the following years, DIO steadily grows, and certain goals are formulated: answering veterinary questions from the Global South, the integration of veterinary medicine in development cooperation and the execution of projects in the South.
In the Netherlands, the focus is providing information and raising awareness, by organising symposia, lectures and various other activities.
Meanwhile, the desire of the student board of DIO to professionalize and to raise more funds in the Netherlands has grown, with the aim of supporting more projects in the South. Therefore, the new foundation Dierenartsen Zonder Grenzen-Nederland (DZG-NL: Veterinarians Without Borders – The Netherlands) was founded in June 2018, with the help of VSF-Belgium. It has been agreed that the projects in Malawi will continue to receive support and that student volunteers will continue to organise activities.