Hi all! :) 

So as I have said above I will be taking off around the June 8th to the exotic country India, more specifically I will be working in Tamil, Nadu in the South. I will be travelling with a wonderful organisation ICS - Restless Development who have been going out foreign for years making a difference by providing peer education and raising awareness about health, education and human rights!

I first found ICS through a friend who also volunteered for six months and traveled all the way to Africa, after I heard of his experiences out there and of the work at home that he is continuing to carry out, I didn't have any other choice but to take a chance and apply. Luckily I was accepted on the project that I wanted to go out on and that was India. 

In India I will be living locally among the people with a host family and they will essentially take me in as another child! This will really help me learn and get immersed in the culture which will be a real experience as I will be truly going back to basics like hand washing clothes, using an outside toilet, otherwise known as an outdoor squat, and I will also have to use an outdoor bucket bath! This experience will truly change my life which is only a small part of why I am going.

The main reason why I am going off to India, to go back to basics and live in a way that I have never had to live before is because of the local people of India and how I, as an able bodied, healthy young woman, with a love of people can really make a difference to quality of life. I have done some volunteering and fundraising with a particular youth project, Reach Across and now I believe its time to get out from behind the desk and get hands on in countries that could really use my help, while I still have the chance to make a difference!

There will be two main activities that I will be taking part in on my three month journey and that is peer education and awareness raising. Delivering sessions on Life skills and organising and running events to raise awareness of key issues that affect the young people and the communities. I am really looking forward to going for training and really getting stuck in!

As for the fundraising I want to let you know that your money will not be going towards sending me on a three month luxury holiday of a life time. Your money will not be going towards any of my travel costs or any of my living costs whilst out in India. You will not be helping pay for my Visas or vaccinations. You will be helping me prove that I am dedicated to the cause and the project. You will be helping ICS and all the other organisations under their large umbrella continue the work that they do worldwide. You will be making a contribution to an organisation who loves and cares for people and who will do everything in their power to make positive change in the world that need it most.

Locally I have arranged several bag packing days in the aim to raise funds and also provide a service to the local people in my town. I have also been permitted to organise gigs in my local pubs with local musicians who all want to have their time in the spotlight to do what they do best, which I am really looking forward to. I will also be doing donation nights locally by doing angel card readings and as I am a Reiki Master, these sessions will be available also. I have so many ideas so fingers crossed that I can reach my target and have the best fun doing it at the same time!

Lastly, I applied to ICS - Restless Development and found that I wasnt alone, that there were other people out there who think like me and care about the same things I do. I found people who wanted to make change, who had already put their efforts in locally and who wanted to expand their thinking, their knowledge and their experiences. I have now found a wonderful support network in this organisation and a family of people who want to do what I have been trying to achieve since my teens and that is make positive change in the world. One small step at a time.

Anything that you could donate will really go a long way and I appreciate all the help that I can get from now until then. Thank you all for taking the time to read my story.

Love and Light to all,

Megan R