I am currently taking a gap year after having taken my A Levels at college last year including Media Studies, Film Studies, Psychology and Music Technology. I have decided to use this time to gain more experience in my chosen career of film making. This is something I feel truly passionate about; the way we can tell powerful, touching stories through film which can sometimes influence one’s perspective in life. I have so far been working with a local company to film and edit weddings, corporate videos, music concerts and more. Additionally, I have taken part in a part time course with the British Film Institute (BFI) and am currently applying for a short residential course in April with the National Film and Television School (NFTS).

During this time, I have realized that I have been given so many fantastic opportunities; which without them I would not be in the privileged position I am in today. This has made me appreciate how extremely difficult it must be for children around the world who have no resources or education in Film and Media; which we often take for granted in the Western world, without realising how lucky we are. I believe if the underprivileged children were given the opportunity to learn and produce films, they would use it as a platform to educate, inform and inspire others. However, the sad reality is they are not given the opportunity due to poverty in third world countries. ‘ProjectsAbroad’ are a non-profit charitable organisation that provide opportunities for volunteers to assist in the projects in developing countries. After researching I have discovered, in Tanzania 69.7% of the population lives below the poverty line and more than 40% of Tanzania’s adolescents are left out of quality lower-secondary education despite the government’s positive decision to make lower-secondary education free. Disadvantaged children are especially at risk in Tanzania and child labour and child trafficking are unfortunately common. In addition, schools are overcrowded and many local teachers need assistance. I believe that volunteers have crucial role to play to improve the lives of Tanzanian children. I would like to provide the opportunity to give back to these less fortunate children by volunteering to share my experience and knowledge of film producing by working alongside a team of teachers helping students learn the art of film making and producing. I will be staying 1 month in Arusha, Tanzania working with a local youth organisation, founded in 2007, that is dedicated to teaching film production to local Tanzanians who come from underprivileged backgrounds. I will be spending time with the local community and children and teach them the art of creative and technical aspects of film production, also to bond with them to give them the hope of inspiring them to express themselves through media and film. I believe by having the opportunity to educate these children and to provide them with help and moral support as well as to teach them important values, I would leave a permanent positive impact on the children of Tanzania.

The total cost for me to take part in this project will be £3100, which includes the cost to in take part in the project itself, transportation, flights, visas and vaccinations. I understand the cost of this project is very high, this is because ProjectsAbroad is independent charity organization, who and does not receive Government funding, but relies purely on the Volunteers / private funding to finance all the projects.

Any financial assistance that you are able to provide to achieving this goal would be greatly appreciated by myself and I am sure the students that will achieve some experience and learning from my time with them. You to will be able to share the positive impact upon the children as I will make sure to keep you updated through vlogs and blogs posts.