Wednesday 11 April 2012

Going to Zambia!


So...at the end of April I'm jetting off AGAIN to embark on a 3 month volunteering project in Zambia with Restless Development, the leading global Youth-Led Development Agency! The project is funded by DFID, through the International Citizenship Service (ICS) which they started last year.

I will be working alongside Zambian volunteers to deliver Financial Literacy and Sexual & Reproductive Health workshops to student teachers in a college in Kabwe, Zambia (a town north of the capital city Lusaka).

Financial literacy is a really important way of enabling young people (especially young women, a particular interest of mine!) to have the freedom to make choices of their own. The aim of the SRH workshops is to reduce the rate of HIV related deaths (currently 2% amongst teachers) and build the capacity of student teachers to pass this information on to their classes once they start teaching.

I'm also a RD team leader, so I will also be supporting the other volunteers from the UK & Zambia! Meeting them at the pre-departure training, the other UK volunteers seem like a really diverse and interesting bunch, and I'm sure the Zambian volunteers will be equally fab, so I'm sure supporting them will be both fun and challenging!

It's going to be an amazing experience, as I've never been to Africa, and I know I am going to learn so much and hopefully have a positive impact on the community in Zambia and on the other volunteers. I can't wait to learn more about International Development, and the education system in Zambia, as well developing my skills of working with young people. YAY!

I'm really looking forward to it but I am a tad apprehensive too, as I will be away for so long (though I'm sure it will fly by!) and will really miss people. But...YOLO! ("you only live once" - apparently this a new phrase that all the cool kids are using...)

Also I'm fundraising for Restless, so if you want to donate some cash monies, please do it here (and GiftAid it!) and I will bring you back a Zambian animal...http://www.justgiving.com/Grace-Louise-Wood

<3 x :-)

2 comments:

  1. I will deffo donate you some money, will it still be open at the end of the month (payday yeah)

    I love your blog, it's very thought provoking, and smart. :D x

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  2. thanks martha! My Justgiving page will be open til the end of the month so it would be great if you could give me whatever pennies you can scrape together!

    I <3 your blog too, very cute and inspiring xx

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