A Streatham woman is planning to travel thousands of miles to take part in a 10 week volunteer project in Ghana.

Viviane Williams, 23, from Leigham Avenue, leaves for Africa on Tuesday with Platform 2, a volunteer programme for 18 to 25-year-olds which aims to help people in developing nations, such as Africa, Nepal and Peru.

The scheme has been running for the past year and is funded by Christian Aid and Bunac.

She completed a number of application forms and a gruelling one and a half hour interview before being one of just 16 people selected for the trip.

The volunteers on the project will be helping communities to build schools, teach sport, art and design and set up a library.

Miss Williams, who is half Ghanian and who wants to immerse herself in her heritage, said: “I was going to save money before university but when I saw this opportunity I just thought it was amazing.

“I’m really excited, so is my dad, he has been phoning all my family in Ghana who I haven’t even met, to get them to come to my village to see me.”

Miss Williams, who is due to start an MA in design at Goldsmiths University in the Autumn, will travel to Kasapin where her main aim is to help with the development of the village’s library.

“We will be doing quite a lot of construction work in the local school and I really want to get to know the customs and ‘become like a Ghanian’,” she said.

She also hopes to use some of her own creative skills while away - writing poetry, taking pictures, painting, producing videos and writing a blog to keep those at home up to date with her trip.

For more information on the project or how to be a volunteer visit myplatform2.com.

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