On 28^th July 2011 I set off on a rather anxious journey alone to Mombasa in Kenya to volunteer for 1 month.

After a relaxing weekend at Diani beach we were set straight to work on the Monday to build a house for a single Mother of four. As you can appreciate, contemporary building materials in this area are scarce and so it did not come as a surprise that the main elements we had to work with were mud, water, wood and palm leaves. We worked eight hours a day from Monday to Friday for the most part of the month and I am delighted that we left Muhaka Village having completed and handed over the property to the family. Needless to say, the proud new owners were thrilled and unlike the types of calls I receive working in Calfordseaden's defects team; I very much doubt this family will be complaining any time soon about their new home! It was heart-warming to see how happy people can be with so little.

I also worked in the family planning sector of the local dispensary; it is so interesting to see procedures taken right back to basics. With limited equipment available, a check up for an expectant Mother would involve feeling the stomach to find the position of the baby and listening to the heartbeat using a funnel shaped instrument - miles apart from our 4D scans! Other tasks included road maintenance within an elephant sanctuary (armed guards kept watch whilst we worked, just in case!), teaching, de-worming of cattle (to provide healthy stock) and digging a large trench to prevent flooding of the local School. The digging of the trench was probably one of the most strenuous tasks due to the hot and humid weather conditions, lack of water and sheer physical labour required!

Despite the hard work involved, the experience was extremely rewarding and has left me with a wealth of great memories.

Since returning from Kenya, I have set up a sponsorship page for a young lady named Claire, who I formed a friendship with whilst staying in Muhaka. The aim is to raise enough money to see her through University. I would appreciate if you would take a couple of minutes to read the Just Giving page and donate if possible: www.justgiving.com/Laura-Cole3