Former College of West Anglia student Freddie Schunmann has recently completed three months of volunteer work with International Citizen Service (ICS). While studying Uniformed Services at the college’s King’s Lynn campus, Freddie, 19, took part in International Citizen Service’s sister programme, National Citizen Service (NCS). He progressed from volunteer to working as a mentor, and then Team Leader, before being introduced to ICS. ICS is a development programme that brings young people together to volunteer across Asian, African and Latin America. Volunteer placements are available for 18-25 year olds, and Team Leader placements for 23-35 year olds. The scheme is funded by the UK government’s Department for International Development, which leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty. For his placement with ICS, Freddie went to Uganda to educate young people on topics such as menstrual and sexual reproduction health, drug and substance abuse, and how to protect themselves from illness. He also helped locals who could not afford to attend school set up their own social businesses, with emphasis on creating community-focused and environmentally friendly enterprises. Freddie returned to the UK in August and now works at the College of West Anglia as a recruitment officer for NCS. In the future, Freddie intends to apply as a Team Leader for ICS, and continue contributing to communities overseas. Speaking about his experience, Freddie said; ‘When you live in a developed country there are so many things that you think are significant or necessary, but when you experience a different way of life, that all changes. It was fantastic to be able to learn just as much as I taught’.