This summer, I have the amazing opportunity to coach basketball for two months in Zambia with the Wallace Group's Project Zambia. I have been chosen along with 5 other St Andrews students, and students from Universities across the UK. In order to go to Zambia, we each need to raise £2000 to cover travel/accommodation costs and also to help support and fund the charities and schools we will be working with in Zambia. So here are some reasons why I believe that Project Zambia is amazing, and how any donations would be so very appreciated!

First of all, Project Zambia is all about empowering the youth of Zambia through the power of sports. Anyone who knows me will know that I have always been a runner. (Here is a picture of my very first race, I'm the peanut in the middle)

But aside from being a runner early on, I did a bunch of other sports before running really stuck. I did ballet and tap dance, soccer, horseback riding, and basketball for years. And while I no longer do some of those sports (guess who is the worst dancer ever... me), I still value what I learned through those sports. I learned the meaning of teamwork, dedication, and patience. I learned what it means to have to be there for people, for a game, on a Saturday morning at 8am when you'd rather sleep in. I learned how to pass the ball to people if they were open, even if we had just had an argument-- because that's what teammates did. I learned to win, but more importantly that you had to lose in order to fully appreciate the wins. Most importantly though, I learned that sports wasn't really about winning at all, but about the team and family you became. (Here's a pic of me on my basketball team, to show that I really did do other sports than running- I'm number 2.)

In the end, playing sports while growing up helped make me into the person I am today. Now I have the opportunity to give back to a younger generation with Volunteer Zambia. This program is actually amazing and I can't wait to be a part of it. It's a genuine program that is set up to empower the youth in Zambia and create a lasting impact. While I will be coaching basketball, I will also be creating relationships with the kids on and off the court, and I hope that I can teach a little more than just the rules of the game.

I would be so, so grateful for any donations and contributions you can make to help me achieve my fundraising goal. Also, over the next few months, I will be doing other fundraising activities with my fellow volunteers so I look forward to inviting you to these events. If you have any questions about the project, please ask me! (I'd love to talk about it.) Thank you so much for any donations you can make, again I'd really appreciate it!