When I was coming to the end of my first year back in 2014, I realised that the summer was looming and I had no plans with what to do with my time. I knew that I wanted to do something exciting with my time, something that was adventurous yet rewarding, so I began looking at different volunteering opportunities abroad.
When I was coming to the end of my first year back in 2014, I realised that the summer was looming and I had no plans with what to do with my time. I knew that I wanted to do something exciting with my time, something that was adventurous yet rewarding, so I began looking at different volunteering opportunities abroad. After a long search, I finally came across an organisation called Gap Creative – a small and brand new organisation based in Kenya that recruits volunteers to teach creative subjects, such as drama, art, dance and photography, in local schools and orphanages. Nervously, I applied, and a few weeks later my plans for spending 6 weeks of my summer in Kenya teaching drama and photography were slowly falling in to place.
All was going well, until I realised just how much this trip was going to cost me. Flights, insurance, vaccinations, teaching materials, practical clothing… the figure just kept going up! Then came the panic of how on earth I was going to buy everything that I needed. As students, money is a sensitive subject anyway, let alone having to fund things like this. But trips like this are so important for personal development and for making a difference to the lives of others. That’s why it was an absolute blessing when I came across the Tithe and Capitular Fund; I was just scrolling through my Facebook feed one day when I saw a post from the SU about it and I did not hesitate in sending in an application. What did I have to lose? Nothing! What did I have to gain? £500 toward my trip to Kenya. All I had to do in the application was give details of my trip; where I was going, what I would be doing and why I thought it would benefit both myself and others, as well as giving a brief overview of the cost of my trip. I was so happy to receive an email a few weeks later saying that I had been awarded with the full £500, a huge weight off of my shoulders knowing that I could afford the things I needed for what was to be the best experience of my life.
My time in Kenya with Gap Creative was invaluable; I was able to teach and share my experiences with others, as well as live in and learn about a whole new culture. I met so many amazing people, saw the most beautiful sights and most importantly I got to see the smiles on the faces of the people that I taught when they were enjoying my lessons. I even got to work with local people my age that also had a passion for my creative subjects, who have since told me that they have taken what I taught them and gone on to teach it to local young children themselves. The fund also meant that I was able to take some time to experience the country whilst I was out there, by going towards the cost of trips such as a safari in the Maasai Mara and camping at Lake Baringo where we got up close and personal with hippos and crocodiles. I cherish every memory of my first big trip abroad and it’s thanks to the Tithe and Capitular Fund that I was able to have this experience.
If you have something planned for this summer and could do with the extra funding, then what are you waiting for? If you don’t have any plans but you fancy an adventure, why not consider looking in to different opportunities and put in an application for the funding to help – it’s not too late to start your own amazing adventure!
