Oliver John Thompson, who recently returned from a 3 month volunteering placement in Tanzania with Raleigh International is now calling on other young people to take the plunge and consider volunteering overseas.
Oliver, 21, worked in partnership with Tanzanian volunteers on a project run by sustainable development charity Raleigh International. Oliver’s project focussed on improving access to safe water and sanitation in rural areas of Tanzania and raising awareness of the importance of improving sanitation in schools and local community groups.
Raleigh volunteers, aged 18-25, work on long-term projects that seek to end poverty in some of the poorest countries in the world. Their work offers young people the chance to gain valuable new skills while working on projects that make a genuine difference to the people they work with and their communities.
Oliver said: “My placement in Tanzania was challenging, but really rewarding and contributed to reducing poverty in the local community. Now I’m back at home, I feel so inspired and motivated by the experience that I’m determined to carry on making a difference. I’m keen to get involved in more volunteering opportunities in the local community of Weymouth and continue to raise awareness of the importance of the International Citizen Service to the younger generation.
“Raleigh is a unique opportunity to work alongside people from a different culture and make a difference at the same time. I’d encourage young people like myself to apply!”
Lili Marfani, Director of ICS, said: “It’s great to hear Oliver is encouraging other young people to apply for ICS. We’re passionate about supporting young people from across the UK and using their energy to tackle poverty. Our experience of working with young people shows they really can take on the big issues and make a difference in people’s lives.”
DID YOU KNOW?
- Over the past 3 years, 10,000 young people have volunteered in 38 developing countries.
- 97% of volunteers say that ICS has helped their professional development (in my case this is true!)
To find out more about Raleigh International visit www.raleighinternational.org
Oliver Thompson
