I have been given a great opportunity by my school to go to Uganda in Africa in February from the 10th-18th to visit Ikoba school. The trip has taken place annually for the last 10 years and two students from year 11 are allowed to go. I applied and have been selected to be one of them.

The trip involves spending a large period of time at Ikoba School where I will be interacting with the school children and the teachers learning about the ways they learn, teach and live. I'll be spending time with the school and its local community contributing to projects.

Ever since I heard about this trip I wanted to be a part of it and for me to have been accepted and given the opportunity to experience something out of my comfort zone is amazing. Volunteering has always inspired me and I have taken part in many projects, however none as large and with such great potential for giving back to society and the developing world as this one.

I want to go on this trip because I want to experience different cultures, different teaching methods, and meet the children and adults and the way they live their life. I think I would benefit from a wider understanding of other people’s lives in the developing world. I feel that I would develop a greater appreciation of how lucky I am to have the life that I live in a westernised world.