I am planning to travel to Cambodia in July 2017 with an organisation called Camps International. I will be helping the local people in the villages by working on projects such as helping to build bridges across rivers, building kindergartens, community toilet blocks in schools and cleaning beaches.
Beach clean ups are extremely effective, not only because I am benefiting sealife but also because plastic and other waste which is left on the shores is collected for women's groups who make beautiful jewellery which they sell! Isn't that amazing?
Helping to build kindergartens is important as young children don't attend school during harvest to help their parents farm the land, therefore the children fall behind on schooling. So improving the early years of education reduces the number of children falling behind.
This matters to me very much because I am getting an incredible opportunity to help local people on the other side of the world and I am eager for them to also have better life opportunities in the future.
I am super excited to go on this trip next year. Not only will I make a big impact on some of the poorest communities in South East Asia, I'm sure I will make amazing memories and meet new friends. I am looking forward to experiencing new food, although I think I will avoid eating fried tarantula!
To help with fundraising, later on this year I am doing the following: on the 4th December I am taking part in a 5K run in Edinburgh starting in Inverleith park and along the water of Leith, I have approached my local Rotary club and I am having a car boot sale in November, I am running a stall at my school Christmas craft fair selling home baking (which is a hobby) and after Christmas I will be collecting Christmas trees around my neighbourhood for recycling as my mum is a gardener and can help me transport the trees in her van.
I am very passionate about this project, and I hope you have learned more about where your money is going. Thank you (: