A YOUNG Ealing woman, who spent seven weeks volunteering in Kenya, is using the skills she developed overseas to help in this country.

Bahrathi Keeping, 19, travelled to Africa with VSO, the voluntary service group, as part of an International Citizen Service programme, funded by the UK government. 

She worked alongside other volunteers from Kenya and the UK and lived with a host family, so she was fully immersed in the community.  

Bahrathi said: "We worked with young women in self-help groups, all of whom had not finished their formal education, and tried to teach them entrepreneurship and life skills.

“Setting up a mentorship scheme, for women to network with established traders and learn skills from them, was probably my biggest achievement."

Bahrathi is now using the skills she developed to carry out an Action At Home project in the UK. Before she left for Kenya, she raised £800 for VSO.

www.volunteerics.org