Hello! My name is Lauren Botsis and I am a primary school teacher working in London.

The Dream:

This year I have decided to make a lifelong dream a reality and volunteer in Africa. Unfortunately I can only afford to do this during my summer holiday but I am determined to make the most of it by offering all my energy, support and skills to the less privileged and I'm hoping it will be enough to make a difference, however small.

The Details:

I will be volunteering for 4 weeks with the charity Agape Volunteers (Registered Charity Reg. No. 1143560) and will be working at an orphanage in Accra. The work consists of helping run the orphanage - cooking, cleaning, laundry- and spending quality time with the children - teaching them English, playing games, taking care of them. These children do not receive the attention they desire on a regular basis, so hopefully my time with them will be valuable to them.

Your Contribution:

What I am asking from you is to help me pay the programme fee which will cover my accommodation and some meals. It will be an incredible help as I have already spent a lot on flight tickets and need to budget for a visa, vaccinations and tablets as well as spending money. Any extra money I raise will go to cover the visa, the vaccinations and malaria tablets. If these are covered too the rest of the money will be donated to the orphanage I will be placed at.

Your reward:

Apart from the the feeling of happiness and satisfaction that you contributed to my cause, I'll also update you with photos and videos whenever I can during my placement, so you can see firsthand how you helped me get there and have an positive impact on the children. I promise to send you all a photo and a thank-you note when I get back too.

Any donation, small or big, is much appreciated and will be of great help!!!

Thank you ever so much!