Hi, my name is Grace. I am a 13 year old student at John Hanson Community School in Andover.

I have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a real difference to a community in Tanzania during the summer of 2019 and I am asking for your help to make it happen.

About the project:

Our school is planning an expedition to Tanzania which will allow me to interact with the culture, communities and environments of other countries whilst exploring somewhere new.

It’s exciting, it’s educational, it’s rewarding and it’s real. An expedition is not a holiday or your average school trip.

The Community Work:

I will be working with the local volunteers from Camps International  to help improve the lives of the people in this area, where most people are living below the poverty line and something as basic as having a roof over their heads is often a luxury that many can’t afford. I'll be working alongside the villagers, helping them to improve their daily lives whilst gaining an amazing insight into rural Tanzanian life. Activities will include:

* Helping to build & renovate traditional houses for needy families

* Planting, cultivating & harvesting banana trees

* Collecting and preparing local foods

* Feeding and watering livestock

Also the local schools constantly struggle with a lack of adequate funding, which puts children’s lives at unnecessary risk from dilapidated classrooms that are close to collapse, as well as poor or non-existent sanitary conditions. I’ll be helping to build or renovate school buildings to create inspirational and stimulating learning resources for the students. This will involve:

* Digging classroom foundations

* Laying bricks

* Plastering, painting and decorating buildings

* Making classroom furniture

* Painting educational murals on the classroom walls

Human wildlife conflict is an ongoing and significant issue here, threatening the future for many important species such as elephants. I'll be getting involved in initiatives to promote a peaceful co-existence between the community and the local wildlife, such as improving natural waterholes and removing invasive plants to safeguard the future for these incredible animals.

* Expanding waterholes for wildlife

* Removing invasive plants that are poisonous to wildlife and livestock

* Wildlife monitoring

* Taking part in environmental education workshops with local children

* Visiting a traditional Masai village

Contributing to a local project is a fantastic way to give a little back to this country and a great way to get to know the people and culture of the region!

Can you help?

I am asking for sponsors to help me raise the £4,000 (for the expedition cost and equipment required). I will also be undertaking other fundraising projects between now and summer 2019 and I am open to any suggestions you may have to help me reach my target.

Thank you for your interest and support. Your donation, however large or small, is very much appreciated.

Grace

The expedition is organised by Camps International - www.campsinternational.com

The Camps Foundation raises the additional funds needed to support the huge range of project commitments by Camps International. We run over 100 projects at any one time, with each project is tailored to the local communities’ needs. The associated costs can not always be sustained by the business.

At the heart of everything we do are the wonderful communities who we live and work alongside. These extraordinary people are our global family and together we’re dedicated to improve their quality of life and living conditions.