My name is Shahrouz Farhadi and I am a fifth form student at St Albans Boys School. In 2019, I will be boldly venturing to the rural outskirts of Ecuador to assist in the development of this picturesque country. This will be a 4-week expedition and will include community development work, environmental projects, and wildlife conservation. It will also include additional elements such as going to the Galapagos islands to investigate the diverse wildlife there.

The core objectives of this expedition are to undertake projects in order to:

• Improve the conditions and resources of educational facilities, within developing communities.

• Raise the living standards of developing communities, within a rural district of Ecuador

• Assist with ongoing wildlife conservation programs to preserve biodiversity and protect vulnerable habitats.

This expedition is extremely important to me because I feel that I will acquire and develop many important life skills such as being able to interact and empathise with other people to understand what they need so I can help them. I am looking forward to helping build schools for the children of Ecuador as I want to help make a difference to improve the lives of others who have, regrettably, not been as fortunate as myself.