Ruva Mankola from Welling, is hosting a charity open mic night in Greenwich to support a project that tackles poverty in Mbale, Uganda, where she will be volunteering for 11 weeks Ruva, 21, will travel to Uganda in August with international development organisation Balloon Ventures, as part of the UK Government funded International Citizen Service (ICS) programme. She will work in partnership with Ugandan volunteers to help lift some of the world’s poorest communities out of poverty.

Before she leaves for Uganda, she must raise £800 for Balloon Ventures. She is holding a charity open mic night at the Lost Hour in Greenwich with music and spoken word performances. The night will start at 6.30pm and will showcase a variety of local talented performers such as Ekay, Jerusha Afia, J-Go, Cheekz Rhymez, Daniel Writes, Yolanda, Broken Pen, Bekile Music, Dominique Lilas, Oriana Jemide and John Oparah.

Ruva said: “The money raised from my fundraising will help to make sure that the communities in developing countries continue to benefit from the work of future volunteers, so it’s vital I reach my target. I’ve been holding various bake sales, arranging prizes for the raffle which will be held on the night and I’m hoping everyone will give generously as a result of my effort!”

“The project I’m working on aims to defeat poverty through sustainable business that can change lives. I’ll be working closely alongside Ugandan volunteers, so it’s a great opportunity to experience another culture and make a difference at the same time. I’m really excited to get out there and start making a real difference to the lives of people in the developing world.”

ICS allows young people aged 18-25 to make a valuable contribution to sustainable development projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. On return to the UK, ICS volunteers undertake an ‘Action at Home’ project, ensuring that their new skills also benefit their local communities. Over 10,000 young people from the UK have taken part in the scheme in the last three years.

To sponsor Ruva visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ruva-mankola or text simply text RUVA95 followed by £amount to 70070. Choose any value from £1, £2, £3. £4. £5 or £10 To find out more about ICS or to apply, visit www.volunteerics.org.

Ends For more information please contact ruva.l.mankola@hotmail.co.uk OR Louise Sheridan, ICS Media Officer, louise.sheridan@vsoint.org.uk

Submitted by Ruva Mankola