Cambodia: inspiring, intoxicating, with a deeply troubled past...

And I, April Goodwin have been selected through Project Trust to go to this magical country to use and develop my skills for a year ...

The Project: (changed due to a complication, but although very different to what I first imagined I would be doing, I think that this new Project will be completely amazing!) 

Don Bosco is a Catholic charity which was set up by St John Bosco to help and educate young people from poverty stricken backgrounds, and this is what I will be involved in for my year away. Set in Cambodia's buzzing Capital of Phnom Penh, is the College that I will be living and working in, teaching English to its wide range of students. The school selects its students from difficult backgrounds, especially orphans and those from the poorer provinces of Cambodia. Many of the students are above normal school age, and so will be older than myself.

At the Project, my work will be hugely varied. Some of the students board at the school, so there is plenty of scope for extra curricular activities, and also outwith the college itself. I can also (and would very much like to) get involved with the Children's Fund Centre which is also run by Don Bosco. The centre provides aid to children around Cambodia, aiming to keep children in full time education by giving them a small allowance each month, so they don't have to work instead of going to school. The work also includes aid distribution to both children with HIV/Aids and those without. Being in the capital, there are also smaller projects all over the city that I can get involved in, and hopefully I can tap into these during my year.

The work sounds extremely exiting, emotionally challenging and very rewarding. For some time now I have wanted to volunteer in the developing world, and from when I first researched Project Trust they have seemed perfect. With a variety of really worth while projects in Asia, Africa and South America, great support and a friendly down to earth atmosphere, Project trust are an excellent Gap Year organisation!

Selection was extremely tough, great fun and both physically and mentally exhausting. It took place on the Isle of Coll, (in the middle of nowhere) an isolated, close knit and friendly community which gave us a hint of what was to come. From digging lazy bed’s for 5 hours straight (until the sun went down), team building exercises, writing an essay, researching, producing and giving a presentation on an aspect of Coll, interviews, preparing a lesson, decorating the hall for the children’s Christmas party, chasing sheep, to having hours of information on the projects, fundraising and training (oh and don’t forget the brilliant Ceilidh at the end) the week was completely jam packed!

It confirmed my hopes and dreams, and a few days later I received the most exciting and door opening email of my existence: You have been selected by Project Trust to go to one of these three places (in order of likelihood) Cambodia, Senegal and Uganda. Volunteers are given a definite place when selected, but with three choices (because there is always the chance of a problem which prevents us from going to the first, or second choice). 

This is it, I am jumping into something thats more than I could have ever dreamed of, an unknown country to live a life so completely different to the UK, hopefully giving something back to the young people and children I will be working with.

But, it is not just a case of sitting back and waiting for August to come around… I have £4660 to raise!!! And this is where you come in. I cannot reach Cambodia without the help and support of you all, whether it is at events, giving donations, spreading the word. Everything is vital to reach my target!

(By the way, if you want to see where the money goes click here: http://www.projecttrust.org.uk/Finance.php )

It seems a huge figure at the moment, but with so many ideas and with the support of you all, it should be very manageable, and hopefully good fun too!

Ideas such as a race night, paper quiz, coffee and cakes morning, bag packing, car washing, valentines gifts, Easter and mother’s day cards, sponsored events, change collecting… the list can be endless. But I can’t do it without you!

Please keep a look out for fundraisers that are going on in the community for my trip, I have a Facebook group: ‘Support April's insanely amazing Gap year project to Cambodia’ and your more than welcome to join and keep up to date on what’s happening, and spread the word!!!