On 15th August I'll be travelling to Uganda with Girlguiding Hertfordshire for 2 weeks to work on a community service project. I'm really excited and a little bit nervous but can't wait to go now! I've been raising money since October last year and have raised £2000 by doing all sorts of activities, including running rainbows, brownies and guides sessions, providing refreshments and catering at local events, a car boot sale, film nights for brownies and guides, bag packing at a supermarket, taking part in local church and school fairs and baking and selling a lot of cakes! I've also been lucky enough to receive some grants and kind donations from family and friends. This £2000 will cover the cost of the trip but there is opportunity to raise more funds for additional projects we can support when we're out there. So I've increased my target to £2500 with just a short time to go to see what I can do.

The project that our group of 13 will be completing is in association with the Mityana Baptist Church, and the aim is to encourage parents to send their children to school, especially girls who miss school when they have their monthly period or to carry out chores and water carrying. We'll be building toilets for the girls at a school in a village near Mityana. A hand excavation of 50 feet required for a long drop for a natural toilet has already been completed. These toilets can be used for 10 years without adding chemicals, after 10 years chemicals are needed to help natural breakdown. Whilst we're there, we'll also be helping to decorate the school and working in class and playing games with the children.

Any surplus money we raise will be donated to other projects. For example one classroom has been added to the school already and another has its foundations built, but more money is needed for bricks, windows etc. One class has moved from under a tree but another class is currently in a shed. Another need in a nearby village is for a water bore hole to be repaired, cost of materials, an engineer and the training of 4 local people to maintain the bore hole so it will be sustainable longer term. This will mean that children can be released from water carrying to go to school. We will actually purchase items towards these additional projects whilst we are there.

Our money will go a long way in Uganda so any donations, no matter how small or large, will make a massive difference. Thank you for reading this and for your support with this amazing opportunity I have.

Daisy Bloomer xxx