Hi, my name is Willow and I am working towards my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. The award has many elements for me to complete, one of them being an independent volunteering residential. I have chosen to do this in Swakopmund, Namibia.

Working with a local NGO, I will spend time building walls to protect farmers’ watering holes, tanks and pumps from the thirsty elephants – elephant drinking areas are built too.

The second component of the volunteer project is to track and monitor elephants in the wild, enabling the authorities to better understand and protect them.

I'm asking for financial help with covering the cost of the flights, transport and accommodation for my two week stay. I have until January 2026 to reach my goal, even if you can't donate I would be grateful if you could share my story.