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On the 18^th May 2014 I will be embarking on a 3 month placement to Sierra Leone, West Africa, a country which has experienced great political unrest and instability with a decade long civil war which devastated the country and its people.

VSO have offered me a place on an amazing programme called ICS. This programme is funded by the UK Government’s Department for International Development which will cover all costs for my placement; flights, accommodation, medical costs, pre-departure and in-country training. 

The fundraising money does not in any way go towards my placement, it goes straight to VSO who are one of the 7 charities working in partnership with ICS. The more ICS volunteers, the more people and communities that can be reached, and the greater impact we have in fighting poverty.

VSO is an international development charity which sends volunteers, including experienced professionals across business, medical and educational areas to some of the world's poorest countries across Africa and Asia. The money you donate will allow this charity to continue their incredible work, changing lives. The charity works within four main areas; Health, Securing Livelihoods, Education and Governance & Participation.

For three months I will be working on a project for 'Youth Empowerment and Securing Livelihoods' in a team consisting of a handful of VSO ICS volunteers from the UK and Sierra Leone. I will be living with a host family in Makeni, located in the North of the country. The VSO 'Youth Empowerment and Securing Livelihood' programme is committed to empowering the next generation of young people in Sierra Leone who have lived through a Civil War, of which just over 40% of the population is younger than 15 years old.

I will be helping to educate the youth in working towards greater livelihood opportunities, providing appropriate skills and resources needed for employment, strengthening rural food security and deepening the knowledge of HIV and AIDS.

This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am incredibly lucky to have been offered a place on this scheme where I will be making a difference to the lives of those in Makeni, Sierra Leone.

So help me raise awareness and raise money for this incredible cause, every penny makes a difference so no matter how big or small your donation would be really appreciated and gratefully received.

(Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.)