A TEENAGER from Silverdale flew 4,000 miles from home to help to improve the lives of women and girls in West Africa.

Elizabeth Forshaw, 19, has been in Koudougou, Burkina Faso, working on a project to increase women's economic empowerment.

In rural Burkina Faso, many women have no means of earning an independent income, making them vulnerable to poverty.

Elizabeth has been taking part in the International Citizen Service (ICS) programme to conduct awareness raising sessions and income generating activities.

"My ICS placement has been one of the most challenging yet fulfilling experiences I have ever done, the incredible people I have met, the strong culture I have immersed myself into and the skills I have learnt will remain with me forever," the former Queen Elizabeth School student said. "The experience has motivated me to take more of an active role in my community and further, the world to make it a happier and fairer place.

"I've realised the importance of things that we so easily take for granted in the UK like clean water, free health care and education and a fair court system as I have seen people fight for it here in Burkina Faso. I hope that I can return to Burkina Faso one day to be reunited with the amazing people that I have been lucky enough to meet."

ICS volunteers work alongside young local volunteers in some of the poorest communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America on issues like sexual health, education and economic empowerment.

Now that Elizabeth has returned home, she will take on an ‘Action at Home’ project, to make sure that her new skills also benefit people in the UK.

Felicity Morgan, director of ICS at VSO, said: “ICS volunteers like Elizabeth are doing amazing work around the world, every day. Our volunteers have helped promote children’s rights in Nigeria, campaign against child marriage in Bangladesh and bring safe drinking water to communities in Nepal.

“We’re incredibly proud that UK Aid is supporting young Brits bring about positive change in some of the world’s poorest communities, enabling them to develop their skills and confidence, and then also applying their time and effort in projects in their local communities in the UK, and we’d love more young people from Silverdale to take that first step and apply.”

For more information about ICS and how to apply, visit http://www.volunteerics.org/