A SELFLESS young man from Darwen has planned his journey from Sunnyhurst to Senegal to make a difference to the lives of others.

Robert Foy will travel to West Africa in January, via the government-funded International Citizenship Service (ICS), where he will aim to educate young people for their futures.

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He is also volunteering in Costa Rica at the end of this month working on a building project where he will help provide safe accommodation, schools and other establishments for local communities.

The 21-year-old will spend three months in Senegal delivering a series of programmes to 15 to 35-year-olds.

He said: “I will be going out there to run my own team and raise awareness on certain hygiene practices and get them educated, around 77 per cent of deaths out there are preventable through disease.”

ICS is an overseas volunteering programme for 18 to 25-year-olds, funded by the UK Government’s Department for International Development.

In the run up to his journey, Mr Foy held a fundraising night at Dolly’s Tea Room in Darwen and raised £995 in aid of ICS.

He said: “I held the event to show how committed I am to the programme and it was an amazing night.

“The money will go towards the scheme and make a difference.”

ICS was introduced by former prime minister David Cameron and volunteers reach out to other young people, particularly on issues like sexual health.

The projects also focus on making sure people have decent toilet and washing facilities, which can hugely reduce infection and disease. Mr Foy, who attended Woodhey High School in Ramsbottom, also said he was inspired to help others by his grandma Kath Wilkins who worked there and this will be his second time in Africa.

He said: “My grandmother first went to volunteer 15 years ago and I was always intrigued.

“When I was 18 I went volunteering with a friend and it was amazing as well as rewarding.

“It is a fantastic way to enrich yourself as well as your country and learn how to be a better citizen.

“It is a life changing experience and I would recommend it to anybody who wants to make a difference.”