I am aiming to raise £1500 for VSO. VSO work in several countries across Africa and Asia. I am travelling to Bangladesh to volunteer there for VSO for three months. In Bangladesh they have three projects. These projects are Agricultural Value Chain work which focuses on training small holder farmers and the landless (extreme poor) to increase household food security and create additional income.
Women and Youth Employability and Entrepreneurship creating communities where rural women and youth are economically secure and contribute to building a equal society where everyone can access their rights and entitlements.
Advocates for Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Rights is increasing demand for SRH services amongst Bangladeshi youth.

In 2015-16, VSO helped 9,000
farm families become intensively trained in good agricultural practice, over 900 people
have new skills to challenge forced (child) marriage, and over 600 women and youth entrepreneurs have received support that has lead to increased employment, income or improved employment conditions.

Bangladesh has the world's fourth highest rate of children entering into forced ‘marriages’. Evidence suggests that VSO volunteer-led peer education and awareness raising activities in the rural northwest of the country are empowering youth to stand up for their sexual health and rights by resisting early marriage.

People from the UK and Bangladesh teams taking part in VSO’s ICS global youth volunteering programme organised ‘courtyard sessions’ in Durgapur village. Issues tackled included the negative impacts of early marriage, with a particular focus on the risks to health of young girls and legal protection for child rights. Shapla, a 14-year-old girl, went on to testify to the positive influence the intervention had in helping her convince her father to halt her marriage to a 34 year old man.

Thank you for your support and for more information please visit
https://www.vsointernational.org