A DEDICATED volunteer returned to college and spoke about his charity work during his Gap Year in Zimbabwe.
Ibrahim Rashid, who left The Sixth Form College, Solihull, told current students about his recent experiences in Africa.
He explained that his volunteering was part-funded by the College in the form of the Terry Kitson bursary.
Ibrahim said: “The main topic of my talk was about how this volunteering experience has made me a better person.
“I also feel more prepared to answer questions about myself, my motivations, my skills and the challenges I have overcome in interviews.”
Ibrahim spent the last three months on a volunteering project in Zimbabwe with a charity called ICS (International Citizen Service).
ICS is a development programme that brings together young people to volunteer in some of the poorest communities across the world.
On this project he delivered sessions with the local schools based on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, as well as livelihoods and life skills.
He continued: “This was by far the best thing that I have done.
“It was tough, but extremely rewarding and life changing too. It makes you much more mature, especially if you’re looking to go to university.
“This is one of the reasons why I decided to take a gap year: it gave me the chance to reflect and look at what I wanted to improve on as a person, and to make me aware of the issues that surround us on a daily basis, both locally and globally.
“This project has opened my eyes so much and now I know how lucky I am to have the privileges that I enjoy.
“I am happy that I spent time helping children in Zimbabwe, as it was great to be able to teach the children topics such as peer pressure, self-awareness and self-esteem, CV writing, as well as health and social issues that affect them, such as HIV and AIDS.”
