A young constituent came to see me at a surgery last week to share with me her experience on the International Citizen Service (ICS) - a UK government funded programme that brings together young people to make a difference in some of the poorest countries across the world.
She was keen to encourage other young people from our area to take part, so I asked for a few paragraphs and here they are:
“The aim is to bring about: project impact, volunteer personal development and the creation of active citizens. ICS is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), representing a significant investment by the UK Government in young people. Without wanting to sound like a cliché, ICS is a once in a lifetime opportunity for young people, aged between 18-25 who want to make a difference both at home and globally.
The consortium of charities ICS partner with have a range of specialisms. Right at the very beginning of the process, application have the opportunity to list their interests in order to place them with the most suitable charity.
I was placed within a female empowerment project – the Sirigu Women’s Organisation for Pottery and Arts (SWOPA). SWOPA aimed to empower women in the local area through training in crafts, such as pottery making, basket weaving and painting. This allowed women to earn their own money, enabling financial independence; further caveats of this included: reducing early marriages and pregnancies, freeing up funds to allow children (girls especially, as they are often taken out of school once they reach puberty) to continue with their schooling, bringing another income to families and keeping local and traditional crafts relevant and available.
Although three months may seem like a fairly short period of time, when you consider all of the contributing factors affecting these 12 weeks, such as culture shock and illness, three months can quite easily feel like a year. Although I would wholeheartedly endorse participating in an ICS project, it is not something to be undertaken lightly.
Finally, another great aspect of ICS is the mandatory ‘Action at Home’, which encourages participants to take part in at least one project that benefits their community – this is a great way to become a more active citizen, which the three months volunteering overseas will inspire you to become.”
If anyone is interested in learning more, let me know and I will put you in touch with this fantastic young woman.