Hi readers!

For new readers that are not familiar with me, my name is Amal Jama. I first started blogging during my trip my birth country, Somalia, a little over a year ago. After completing my studies at the University of Ottawa, I embarked on a journey to Hargeisa, Somalia. Prior to this trip, I collected donations and school supplies from family, friends, and classmates. Excited, nervous, a little naive, and very motivated, I traveled to the Motherland with a suitcase full of donations to a country thousands of miles away, a journey I felt was necessary to achieve personal growth and a sense of personal fulfillment.

A weekly blog post chronicled my journey as I worked as a volunteer teacher at a local public school, volunteered with local youth groups in the community, and traveled to remote villages while working as a translator on a film set. The link to this blog is: www.thehornofafrica.blogspot.com. Seven months later, I returned to Ottawa, Canada.

Following extensive volunteering in Ottawa (there were fundraisers and events to help victims of the draught in East Africa), I have decided to embark on a second journey. This time, the destination is the West African country of Ghana. As a Youth Challenge International (YCI) Volunteer, my group of volunteers and I will be working with local organizations to promote peer to peer learning, sustainable livelihood and youth employment, and civil engagement and good governance, among others.

To be eligible to take part in this unique opportunity and to continue my dedication to making a difference in developing countries, I must raise awareness of the projects of YCI and reach a fundraising goal. Although my fundraising goal may appear as a daunting task to achieve in a matter of six weeks, I'm up for the challenge!

That being said, please make a donation to the cause. Any amount, from as little as $20, will be greatly appreciated!

Finally, I will be keeping updates of my journey to Ghana on my blog on a regular basis and will provide photos of the distribution of all donated items.

Thank you for your support!