Kerys Sian Stephens, from Whitland, is raising money to support a project that tackles poverty in Tanzania, where she will be volunteering for four months.

Kerys Sian, 23, will travel out to Tanzania on the 2018-01-21 with international development organisation VSO, as part of the UK government funded International Citizen Service (ICS) programme.

She will work in partnership with Tanzanian volunteers to help lift some of the world’s poorest communities out of poverty. She will also be living with a local host family, to fully immerse herself in the local community and gain a better understanding of the challenges they face.

Before Kerys Sian leaves for Tanzania she needs to raise £800 for VSO.

She will be undertaking many activities such as hosting a food and wine night, bake sales, car boot sales and she is hoping to hike the Kinder Scout trail in the Peak District. The money Sian raises will help to make sure that communities in developing countries have help and the support they need.

Sian said: “I’m really looking forward to getting to Tanzania and getting stuck in to my project. I’m working on project that will include me volunteering young teenagers in the local schools and working with them to ensure that they are aware of what they can achieve in life, so I’m really hoping I can help young people make more informed decisions and strive to make them realise they can do anything they put their mind to.

“I’m most excited about meeting the Tanzanian volunteers we’ll be working alongside; it’ll be really interesting to find out what life is like for young people there. I’ve never volunteered overseas before, so this will be a completely new experience for me. I’m really excited to be involved. This is something I have always wanted to do and I want to be able to really help others so this is why I am doing this.”

ICS allows young people aged 18-25 to make a valuable contribution to sustainable development projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

“I’ve already raised £200 from kind donations from family and friends, and I’m hoping that the activities that I will do will take me a lot closer to my £800 target. The money will help so many people and it really does make a difference. I’m really hoping it goes well and I’ve got lots else planned to help me reach my target. Any donation is hugely appreciated, and will really transform lives. I’d be so incredibly thankful if people read this and donated what they could.”

To sponsor Kerys Sian Stephens, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/keryssianstephens

On return to the UK, ICS volunteers undertake an ‘Action at Home’ project, ensuring that their new skills also benefit their local communities. More than 13000 young people from the UK have taken part in the scheme since 2011.

Felicity Morgan, director of ICS at VSO, said: “Kerys Sian will be joining thousands of other ICS volunteers who are doing amazing work around the world, every day. We’re incredibly proud that UK aid is supporting young Brits to bring about positive change in some of the world’s poorest communities. As an organisation working on the frontline against poverty, VSO see how people across Britain play an important role in delivering UK aid; from the NHS and Army helping end the Ebola crisis, to the millions who donate, and the contribution we all make through taxes, together we are all making the world a fairer, safer place.”

To find out more about ICS or to apply, visit www.volunteerics.org.