Thank you for taking a minute to read my VSO fundraising page. VSO works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. The volunteers' skills, knowledge and sheer enthusiasm make lasting and far reaching change in the world's poorest communities.

I’m fundraising in support of all VSO funded projects, which benefit around 2 million people every year. By donating to my page you are not paying for just one placement, you are supporting all of VSO’s vital work, enabling them to continue to change the world through the power of volunteering.

Working with VSO I'll be travelling to Cambodia in order to help rural communities and the individuals within them to develop and climb out of poverty. Cambodia itself has had a troubled past, and although it is now stable and developing, VSO has been invited to the country to help ensure this success is renewable, ethical and the best it could be for all parties.

I'm taking part in the volunteering efforts for many reasons. I want to make a difference in the world, to help people who need it and the communities they belong to. Yet of course I'm also going for personal development as well; I'll have the chance to see the planet, explore new cultures and gain skills, whilst making lasting bonds with friends from all around the world.

The project which I will be taking part in in Cambodia is focussed on three main points:
1) Increasing employment opportunities.
2) Providing greater standards of education.
3) Helping with agricultural production.

I got involved with this project through a charity called ICS. This charity allows people aged 18-25 (and team leaders aged 23-35) to make a difference through volunteering. It believes that young people are capable of changing our planet for the better, and has seen this belief yield results in countries around the world, one step at a time. The projects that ICS oversee are in some of the poorest communities in the world, with the main aim of eliminating extreme poverty.

Funded mostly by the UK Governments Department for International Development, ICS placements also require fundraising to help alleviate the cost and to act as the first phase of a volunteers placement. I have been set the goal of raising £800, which I aim to earn through spreading information of ICS and the projects it runs, as well as doing some odd jobs too. If you choose to donate then the money will not be going to me, or even necessarily my placement. It will be distributed by ICS to the locations, partners (such as VSO), projects and communities around the world that need it most. The money you donate could go to help education in Bangladesh, farming in Tanzania, or raise awareness about sexual health in Malawi.

Thank you so much for checking out my page and for (hopefully ;) ) donating to the cause. For more information you can checkout VSO's website, as well as the website of ICS. I have also created my own personal website, where I will be posting regular updates about my progress both fundraising and abroad. Check it out here. https://www.shanetravelling.com/