Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page for my International Citizen Service (ICS) placement! I'm so excited about this opportunity, and really hope that you might be able to support me in making it happen!

I'm very excited to have found out that I'll be going to Tanzania in late January! 

This is my main fundraising page, where I'll post information about my different fundraising activities, and where hopefully you lovely, kind people might be willing to donate a bit of dosh for my efforts! Thank you in advance for any contributions - I really am so grateful. Doing this programme means a lot to me, and I can only participate if I manage to meet my fundraising target (£1500). Which means I can't do it without you guys!

I think it's important to state here that the money I'm fundraising is not to fund any of the components of my individual trip. ICS does pay for my placement, including my flights, my visa, my vaccinations etc - but that is all funded by the government. The money that I'm raising (which is a compulsory fundraising target that I must meet in order to go on my placement) contributes to the ICS programme so that more young British people after me can volunteer on similar projects - so it's money that goes towards recruitment and assessment days and training, and all those necessary things to keep the programme going. 

What's ICS?

ICS is an overseas volunteering programme for 18-25 year olds (I know, I've managed to get there just in time), funded by the government's Department for International Development (DFID). It's about young people like me joining a new community in another country for 12 weeks, and finding ways to support and empower that community to bring about positive change. The work that ICS carries out focuses on: growing and strengthening local economies; supporting community members in becoming employed and earning a decent wage; improving access to and participation in education for all; providing health services and information; making sure that people of all backgrounds know their rights and can make their voices heard; and helping communities to protect their environment and adapt to the effects of climate change.

For more information about ICS, please see the website: http://www.volunteerics.org/

The Partner Organisation: Restless Development

ICS works with a number of partner organisations, and I've chosen Restless Development as the organisation with which I'll be volunteering. I chose them for a number of reasons: their focus on placing young people at the forefront of change and empowerment; their community-based approach; their 30 years of experience working with volunteers across multiple continents; their commitment to transparency and accountability; their commitment to constant improvement; and their dedication to the self-development of both their volunteers' and the communities within which they operate. I believe that by working with RD, I have a real chance of contributing to positive change and growth in the developing world - something that I feel passionately about.

For more information about Restless Development: http://restlessdevelopment.org/
and specifically Restless Development's ICS programme: http://restlessdevelopment.org/ics

A little info paragraph from JustGiving about their donation system:

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.

P.S. - I have no idea why the suggested donation seems to be £30 when you click to donate, but I don't seem to be able to change it! Please don't think that I chose that amount, or that I'm expecting such large donations - I know that money is often tight, and I'm grateful for any size of donation. A few quid would make me very happy!