Namibia Adventure for Warminster Student

17 year old Emily Keen from Sutton Veny will leave England next

week to travel to Namibia, West Africa.

For a year she will be working there for the charity

Project Trust, an

educational charity which  has been sending school leavers on volunteer placements

all over the world since 1967.

“I  can’t wait to get going,” said Emily. “I’m

flying to the capital, Windhoek via Johannesburg, and then travelling by car to

Luderitz where I will be based.  It’s

over 300 miles south of Windhoek, along the skeleton coast.”  

Emily explains, “There will be eight other volunteers in

Namibia, but just the two of us in Luderitz and as well as teaching in the

local township I’m going to be running the local newspaper – The Buchter

News.  There’s no rainfall all year  – it is a complete desert.

Project Trust  is based on the island

of Coll in Scotland where all volunteers have to go for their selection and

training courses. "They have offices in a remote situation to make sure

their volunteers are really dedicated," says Emily who left Warminster School,

where she was head girl, this summer and has a place to study history at Southampton University when she

returns.  

Emily’s parents, June and Mike Keen, who live in Sutton Veny, say they will miss Emily but are

excited about the opportunities the year will offer. “Of course we'll

miss  Emily a lot, but we're glad she is

using her gap year to do something worthwhile and we know that she will have a

fantastic time."

“I wanted to make the most of my year out,”  said Emily, “and use the time to learn new

skills and help in a community.  I hope

I’ll be able to make a real contribution.

To take part each volunteer

must raise £4850 in sponsorship.  Emily

has been  working in the local pub and

run a number of  fundraising events

throughout the year but has not yet managed to reach the full amount.   If

anybody would like to sponsor Emily's adventure she can be contacted at

emilykeen@live.com.