Recently I met with young people from Sutton who have taken part in volunteering projects overseas in the developing world.
Alex, Arjun, and Aatif went overseas with the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and the International Citizens Service (ICS) to take part in various projects in different countries.
Aatif took part in a livelihoods project in Ilorin, Nigeria to help improve the local area. Alex went to a rural community in Nepal to help with sanitation and hygiene. Arjun travelled to El Salvador to help with a grassroots movement called FUMA, which encourages civic participation.
It was very inspiring to hear their stories and the work that they did while overseas. I would encourage anyone who is interested in taking part in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of volunteering overseas, to get in touch with the VSO and ICS to see what might be available for them.
I want to thank Alex, Arjun and Aatif for visiting me to tell me their stories, and for the VSO and ICS for helping to arrange this.