Thomas Gainsborough School student seeks fundraising support after securing place on year-long teaching project in Honduras

A year-long volunteer teaching expedition to help developing communities in Latin America beckons for a Great Cornard sixth-former, who has begun fundraising with support from her school to make it a reality.

Rosy Morelli, a Year 13 student at Thomas Gainsborough School, is working to raise almost £7,000 over the coming months, after being selected for a teaching placement in rural Honduras, following the completion of her A-levels.

The teenager was chosen for the trip following a successful application process with Project Trust, a charity which organises ethical volunteering opportunities around the world for young people.

Starting in August 2023, Rosy will spend 12 months teaching at a rural primary school and organising local projects, such as after-school clubs and English lessons for adults, while staying with a host family in the Central American nation.

She told Suffolk News that she had heard about Project Trust through a family friend, and decided to apply because she wanted the chance to make “a real contribution” and a “lasting positive impact” on those less fortunate than her.

“This is an exciting opportunity for me to leave a meaningful and lasting impact in developing communities, without taking work away from local people,” said Rosy.

“All Project Trust placements are carefully planned and chosen, so it will be tailored to meet the specific community’s needs.

“I knew there might not be another opportunity like this, so I wanted to take it when it came up. I applied in August, went through a selection course and recently found out I was successful, which is really exciting.

“As I’m doing a Spanish A-level, I thought it would be a great opportunity to connect with a different culture and help much poorer communities.

“It’s definitely going to be a new experience. I have done monitoring at school, but nothing compared to planning my own lessons, so it will be a challenge, but one I’m very much looking forward to.

“I hadn’t considered teaching before – I actually want to do a degree in science – but if it goes well, teaching is certainly something I would consider later in life.”

Rosy is now running a series of events to raise the £6,950 required to secure her place, and has already received nearly £500 since launching her appeal three weeks ago.

She has so far planned coffee mornings, sponsored walks and a weekly homemade bread sale at her school, with concerts also in the pipeline for the new year.

“My school has been very supportive,” she added. “Not many people at TGS have done something like this before, so they have pledged to help my fundraising at school.

“My family have also been very supportive. They will miss me, but they are really pleased I have been given this opportunity.

“I’m looking forward to it so much. I’m so happy that I have managed to get this far, and it’s definitely something I’m willing to put 100 per cent into.”

Click here to donate towards Rosy’s fundraising.