I'm travelling to the Eastern Cape in South Africa when I complete my A levels in June 2017, and volunteering for a charity called My Life that's building a sustainable rural village to offer a healing environment for the street children from cities, and those without parents or family in rural areas.
I plan to study counselling and psychotherapy at university, and really want to make a difference while I'm in South Africa.
This is no ordinary charity. The money I raise will go to specific projects. One is to provide stabling for the horses the project already has. It gets very cold in the winter, and at the moment these animals have no shelter. They're used therapeutically with children who have never been close to animals, they talk to them, stroke them, groom them, ride them and talk to them. The horses become the friends and family they never had.
I also want to raise money to start a sustainable pig unit on the farm. So many of the children, and local families, have no access to meat or protein, and starting a pig unit will provide food. The farm already has vegetables, and adding chicken would be a bonus.
MyLife has been operating for about 10 years, and is run by the most inspirational woman called Linzi Thomas. She has won major awards for her work with the street children in Cape Town. She works tirelessly with these children to offer them support and, on many occasions, a roof over their heads.
These children have been rejected by their families, something we find hard to understand, and have turned to a life of crime, usually fuelled by drugs and alcohol, to survive. Trying to heal them in a city environment is impossible - the temptations are still there - so moving them to the peacefulness of the countryside and providing them with love and care is vital for their future. These children will have a chance to make something of their lives. Some have already succeeded, becoming boxing and football coaches, for example. And I want to help.