A year ago today I started my long journey with the gap year charity Project Trust. 17/04/2011 was the first day of the Selection Course on the Isle of Coll. Where is the Isle of Coll you say? I know, that's exactly what I said. It's a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. It's a truly beautiful island, I think I have a picture in my gallery. But I vividly remember that week being one of the best weeks of my life. I met some new people who were all lovely and had the same anticipations as me, and the week was just so much fun, from the activities right down to living in such a remote place with a new family.
I found out about Project Trust through school; PT came and did a talk at my school about what they had to offer. The funny this is, I made quite a fuss before the talk because I really didn't want to go to that talk because 'I knew I didn't want to do a gap year, so why should I listen to someone talk about them'? Oh, how things change. I'm the only person out of everyone in my year who is going on a gap year. As soon as Kat (from PT) started talking about that kinds of things that were available I was hooked, and then when she said there was the opportunity to run a newspaper in Africa I knew that was exactly what I was going to do.
I'd always had this view of gap years: gap students I'd known and met had come from New Zealand/Australia/South Africa from a school similar to mine and come over to teach in England for a few months. Although I've always wanted to travel the world, particularly Africa, that sort of gap year never appealed in the slightest. I didn't want to go to a school like mine and teach secondary kids and spend my weekends like I do now, only in a warmer climate, maybe seeing some interesting things on my holidays. It wasn't the way I wanted to travel the world.
I found out about Project Trust through school; PT came and did a talk at my school about what they had to offer. The funny this is, I made quite a fuss before the talk because I really didn't want to go to that talk because 'I knew I didn't want to do a gap year, so why should I listen to someone talk about them'? Oh, how things change. I'm the only person out of everyone in my year who is going on a gap year. As soon as Kat (from PT) started talking about that kinds of things that were available I was hooked, and then when she said there was the opportunity to run a newspaper in Africa I knew that was exactly what I was going to do.
I'd always had this view of gap years: gap students I'd known and met had come from New Zealand/Australia/South Africa from a school similar to mine and come over to teach in England for a few months. Although I've always wanted to travel the world, particularly Africa, that sort of gap year never appealed in the slightest. I didn't want to go to a school like mine and teach secondary kids and spend my weekends like I do now, only in a warmer climate, maybe seeing some interesting things on my holidays. It wasn't the way I wanted to travel the world.
But what Project Trust offered was just something else. I had no idea that I could spend a year writing a newspaper, the job I'd love to have after university. And even better it was in Africa, in a town called Luderitz on the coast. I'd be living as a local would, and I'd have the opportunity to travel anywhere else in my holidays. It was perfect.
After the Selection Course, in which I chose Namibia, a teaching project on the shores of Lake Malawi, and another teaching project in South Africa (which I chose very last minute) I was selected. However, both the Luderitz and the Malawi projects were very limited so they wouldn't be able to tell me for definite where I'd go until they'd seen all applicants, a whole year later. So for a year I've been fundraising for South Africa, whilst a part of me has always been begging for the money to take me to Namibia. People have asked me where I'm going and I have to then explain the complicated situation that I don't know for definite!!!! However, I did write in my Personal Statement for university that I was hoping to go to Namibia. I asked Project Trust first, partially to make sure that that was ok as I HAD to fundraise for South Africa, but also to strongly hint that Namibia was all that I wanted.
So here I am, 1 year to the day after my selection course on the Isle of Coll, and I get a phone call from the desk officer of Namibia, John. He tells me he has good news. I die inside anticipating his next words. I'm going to Luderitz. And not only that, but I was top of the list for the Namibia applicants. Looks like my hinting paid off!!
18 months ago my future was the same as everyone else's. I was going to finish my A Levels, hopefully do well, go to uni and try and get a job. I never thought for a second that I'd be spending a year running a newspaper and working at a crèche on the coast of Namibia. And, honestly, it hasn't sunk in. It's so surreal. And I can't wait. I know it's going to be the best year of my life.
If you would like to help me raise the £5,100 I have to fundraise please go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SarahWilliamsonPT
Even £1 would be much appreciated. I have about £1,20
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