A home-schooled student from 150 Mile House is flying to Oaxaca, Mexico this week to help build sports facilities.
"We will be doing some children's programs as well," adds Zeallah Boerma, a Grade 12 student with the Heritage Christian School, based in Kelowna.
Zeallah will travel to Mexico with 35 students and 10 chaperones as part of the Global Citizenship Program team.
She says their team will work with 10 other team leaders in Mexico.
For six weeks while taking leadership and cross-cultural training the students will work in service projects such as helping to construct facilities at the Delfines Soccer School in Puerto Escondido, a program which seeks to provide sports opportunities for underprivileged children.
In the mountain regions of Nopala, the students will also will work in local schools and communities with children's programs that will impact more than 900 Mexican children.
In Oaxaca City the team will serve in orphanages and partner with a local school.
Each team member is tasked with raising at least $3,700 for travel, educational and project costs.
Over the past few months Zeallah has held two bake sales at the Life Saltjar Warehouse on Fourth Avenue and has also been canvassing local businesses to help fund her contribution to the mission.
Zeallah, says six of her fellow team members are also home schooled.
She and her siblings are home-schooled because their parents are often on the road with their business.
"Home schooling is much easier to do," Zeallah says. "Our family does a lot of travelling so school just goes with me wherever we go."
She adds the other advantage of home-schooling is that they get to celebrate their birthdays on their actual birthday.
While she and her family live about 13 kilometres off the grid at 150 Mile House, they do have a generator and satellite Internet which allow her to take her courses online.
Her earth science lab is right outside her door, explains Zeallah, who will graduate two days after returning from the mission in Mexico.
Volunteering at various places around Williams Lake including the Salvation Army and Williams Lake Library has been part of Zeallah's home schooling program.
People can donate for Zeallah's mission in Mexico by contacting her parents at keithmcplus@gmail.com or through the program's online site at bit.do/GCP-Donations.
More information is also available about the Heritage Christian School at www.heritagechristian.ca.