So, as I write this blog, I'm sat on the train home from an incredible training weekend with Skillshare International. Having spent two days learning about my upcoming placement in Lesotho, I only felt it would be fair for me to update my donors on what I'll be doing for ten weeks, and where the money is going.
As you may know, I'll begin my placement at the end of January, and will spend ten weeks in country on programmes specifically designed around HIV/AIDS and youth empowerment. Built into these programmes there are also clear goals in promoting gender equality and sustainable livelihoods, ultimately aiming to contribute to better qualities of life for the young people who take part. A key theme during the placement will also be crime prevention, and each team will be developing a project to engage young people with this.
When in country, each team will be working on one of two programmes: either with the Olympic Youth Ambassadors Programme (OYAP) or the Lesotho Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (LENEPHWHA). OYAP is organised by the Lesotho National Olympics Committee and aims to develop young people through sport, using sessions focusing on life skills and HIV and AIDS awareness. LENEPHWHA is a network of support groups for people loving with HIV and AIDS, and part of the work will be combatting the stigma of both within the country, again using sport as a basis to engage young people in educating around the myths of HIV and AIDS.
This weekend I also got to meet the incredible team I will be volunteering with. We'll be living with host families while in country, and experiencing Lesotho's culture at a direct level. The villages we'll be staying in could be incredibly remote, depending on which programme we are placed in. We'll also have limited access to technology, but I'll try and update my blog whenever possible, to keep all you guys who have donated to this incredible programme informed of the work that is actually happening on the ground.
Ultimately, this weekend has made me feel so glad to have taken that leap and take on the ICS programme. Skillshare International are a phenomenal charity, and the money you have (or maybe will?!) donate is going to fund some incredible initiatives. I'm so eager to get over to Lesotho now, and have three more weeks to hit my fundraising target, and only five weeks until I leave. This adventure has only just begun, and I'm excited to get stuck in!
No comments:
Post a Comment