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Summer 2014!

As a part of the International Citizen Service (ICS), this summer I will be volunteering in South India for 10 weeks. During the placement I hope to make a real difference to rural communities, with the support of Raleigh International. The charity has two main areas of focus in the developing world: natural resource management and sanitation. 

What I will be doing?

I’ll be living within and helping a local community to improve their basic sanitation levels and improve their access to clean water. More specifically, I will be aiding the education of the community about hygiene, building sustainable sanitation facilities, and water irrigation systems.

 (More info here: www.raleighinternational.org/what-we-do/raleigh-ics)

Why I want to go?

I believe this experience will allow me to improve the lives of some of the world’s poorest individuals, even if it is just by a little bit. I understand that it will be challenging, but this is one of the reasons why I want to do it. Furthermore, I feel that in this very day and age, it is extremely unfair that communities are still being subjected to living in squalor. This situation resonates with me, because I could have potentially been living in similar conditions in Ghana, had my parents not taken the chance to immigrate to he UK. 

My Volunteering Experience

Ever since I started helping out in my local Oxfam shop, volunteering has become a major aspect of my life. After my GCSE’s in 2011, a group of friends and myself took part in the National Citizen Service, in which we went about confronting homelessness issues in our local community. Due to the success of the project, the Mayor of London presented us with the London Team Star Award. Moreover last year, I assisted my schoolteachers in organising a sponsored run that managed to raise over £4000 for Msizi Africa. As a result I was awarded the Worshipful Company of Carmen Prize by the Lord Mayor Of London during the Speech day presentations. 

Why I need your help?

Despite the programme being funded partially by the government’s Department of International Development, I won’t be staying in posh city hotels, but instead immersing myself within the poor rural communities, I believe this will let me better understand what these individuals have to live through day-to-day. The money I raise won’t go directly to paying for my trip, but instead it will be put to better use by the charity Raleigh International, to actively combat poverty in the developing world. 

The Breakdown

Placement dates: 30th June 2014 - 7th September 2014

Duration: 10 weeks

Fundraising Target: £800 – or as much as possible

Charity: Raleigh International

Area: Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, South India

Context: 72% of Indians lack access to basic sanitary facilities

Why I want to go: To help make a difference in the lives of those most deserving, and hopefully to change the world for the better

Focus: Sanitation and Natural Resource Management

Fundraising Plan: Tutoring GCSE Students, washing cars, and hopefully YOUR HELP

Conclusion

You already know about the cause, it is something that we can no longer deny. My contribution will be through the placement, and where the money will be spent will make a genuine difference. PLEASE SUPPORT me on my journey to impact upon the lives of those less fortunate than us.

Any donation, however much or little, will be greatly appreciated

To get a better understanding of ICS, please watch this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o2tmmeuMf4