Volunteer Zambia is an international Sport for Development project. The project uses sport as a vehicle to engage, inspire and educate disadvantaged young people in Zambia around gender equality and HIV/AIDS, while also developing sport as a whole.

I will be joining the team this year as a Student Sport Development Officer for Women's Football. This will draw on my previous activator skills such as being a Higher Education Volleyball Officer, Youth Football Coach and President of the History Society Football Team.

The Wallace Group consists of seven Universities that select students and staff to travel to Zambia each year throughout the Summer, to help support Sport in Action deliver the development programmes to hundreds of young people. The work of the students provides the knowledge and ability to establish the programme in the long term, helping coaches to deliver sessions that improve health, strengthen connections with peers and provide education to Zambian young people. Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with high rates of HIV/AIDS playing an exacerbating role. An overwhelming 1.2 million children are orphaned in Zambia due to AIDS in a population of just 17 million. However, these statistics are improving with the continuous, global support of projects like these. The Zambia Project uses the power of sport, along with determined volunteers, to provide safe recreational opportunities for the people involved. All the students from Northumbria on the 2022/23 volunteer team are extremely excited, committed and driven for this opportunity, and are working equally hard behind the scenes to raise the funds to go out to Zambia and change young peoples lives through sport.

Every single donation is greatly appreciated.