My name is Sophie Stockham and I'm from Dawlish College. Next summer I am going to sacrifice 4 weeks of my summer holiday to go to Tanzania with Camps International as a volunteer.

Whilst there I will work with the local community and other volunteers to help build vital buildings and help provide essential infrastructure such as water supplies etc.

Every project we work on will have a life-changing impact on the local community.

The differences we will be making are;

- Helping children and babies by building them a new school or classroom.

- Help to build the local community up by adding houses.

- Improve the health of a whole community by adding a new water supply. So they can drink clean, filtered water.

- Install watering holes for animals, deworm livestock and help rangers protect vulnerable wildlife from poachers or prey.

- Making paper from elephant dung to sell to the local people and flip-flop keyrings which they can also sell to encourage small businesses.

Whilst on the trip we will be going on the worlds biggest safari spread over 2 days. catching glimpses of ' the big 5 ' in their natural habitat. along with another day on a safari and exploring the wildlife conservation ranch.

why do we go?

1. 40% of people in Tanzania are living below the poverty line.

2. nearly have than the population are living on less than $1a day.

3. in Tanzania the life expectancy is 55 years

"we want to help them"

After all of our hard work we have time to relax and unwind and reflect on the life-changing experiences and memories, we could also challenge the local children to sports activities.

I have a massive target to reach to enable me to go to Tanzania to really help make a difference so everything you can do to help will be really appreciated.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this page.

Sophie Stockham (aged 14)