A YOUNG support worker from Dartmouth who works with people with severe learning difficulties is off to East Africa to help tackle poverty at grass roots level.
Josie Kearney, 22, has been selected as a youth volunteer to take part in a horticulture programme overseas.
In December, she will be flying to Tanzania where she will be living in the community of Zanzibar with a host family working on the secure livelihoods Cash programme.
Commercial Agriculture For Small Holders Farmers in Horticulture aims to increase production development and trade in the view of economic development in Zanzibar.
But first she needs to raise £800 to make the trip happen.
‘I’m very excited to be taking part on this programme,’ said Josie, who left Kingsbridge Community College in 2009 before going to study health and social care.
‘I have been working for Robert Owen Communities in Totnes as a support worker for young adults with physical and mental learning difficulties for the last four years.
‘From a young age its always been one of my goals to go help fight poverty in a different country, so I applied for Voluntary Service Overseas and my interview was successful.’
Josie said she would be grateful for any donations to help get her on the project.
‘It is a way of making sure developing countries can continue to benefit from the work of future volunteers, so its vital I reach my target,’ she said.
Money can be pledged on her justgiving page www. justgiving.com/josie-kear ney1 or text JKKK94, then the amount to 70070.