Starting in July I will be joining Projects Abroad to spend four weeks teaching English and French to children in Senegal, as well as helping the talibés (street children). English and French skills will be a valuable tool for these children in terms of finding a credible job or continuing to higher education. Many Senegalese schools lack the proper resources and number of qualified teachers that are necessary to teach. In this way I hope to give these children a better start in life.

I look at my time abroad not only as a way to give back but also as a way to gain a better insight into the world around me. While I am volunteering I will be living with a local host family. I believe that the long-term relationships that I hope to make with my project colleagues and host-family will be of great value to me as well as them. At the end of my project I hope to return with a better understanding of the country I’m volunteering in and the people that I have interacted with there.

I’m choosing to volunteer through an organisation called Projects Abroad. Projects Abroad was established in 1992 as a volunteer English-teaching programme in Eastern Europe and has since grown to offer a wide range of opportunities in volunteering, internships, and language courses in over 25 destinations around the globe. I will be joining a community of well over 50,000 volunteers past and present that have lent their time and effort to giving back around the world.

As this experience is unpaid, I will need to cover costs for things like flights, the Projects Abroad programme fee and vaccinations. I also plan to undertake the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in support of my fundraising. Even a small amount will get me one step closer to my goal. Thank you in advance for any support you can give.