19 year old volunteer spends 3 months in Nicaragua

A 19 year old from Camden has spent 12 weeks volunteering in one of the poorest communities in Nicaragua.

Kira Burgard worked on a project where she helped improve access to safe water and sanitation.

Ms Burgard fully immersed herself into the central American country, living with a local family.

Ms Burgard was there as part of the government backed international citizen service’s (ICS) programme, and encourages youngsters to take the plunge and help end poverty in some of the most disadvantaged countries in the world.

She said: “The part of the project that I spent the most time on was training a youth entrepreneur in business skills and promoting the improved sanitation technologies that he was building.

“Through this experience I have acquired innumerable skills, knowledge and inspiration that I hope to use for future volunteering opportunities and to set up my own projects.

Now she is back home, Ms Burgard will be taking on an ‘Action at Home’ project, ensuring that her new skills also benefit her local community.