A YOUNG volunteer from Great Milton gave up spending Christmas at home to travel over 4,500 miles to work on a charity project in India, where a quarter of the population live on less than £1 a day.

Ben Isaacs, 21, is now part of a team of young British and Indian volunteers who set off on a project to improve education, help young people overcome gender inequality and combat discrimination.

He travelled to India with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) as part of the UK government-funded International Citizen Service (ICS) programme and is currently still working in the country.

The former Wheatley Park School pupil said: "My placement has been magical.

“My outlook on life has certainly changed in my time in India.

"I now view development in a totally different way, seeing it as much deeper process than simply an influx of money.

“Much of our work is focused on the young people in the village, because India has an astoundingly young population,” he added.

Ben said his biggest achievement was helping over 50 illiterate villagers fill in forms, so they could access government benefits to support their families.

“Filling in the forms is vital for many of the people who signed up and will help them afford to feed their families and buy the necessary commodities to live,” he said.

Ben is living with a local family whilst in India to fully immerse himself into the culture and to better understand the challenges faced by the local community.

“I have felt welcomed by my host family since my first day. They are respectful, caring and funny.

“At the same time, I have learned so much about Indian culture, as well as sharing my own culture."

The charitable globetrotter, who used to worker in Sainsbury's, said that the main challenge was the language barrier, but that hasn’t stopped him from forming a 'deep and loving relationship' with his host family.

He said: “From spending so much time with the family, chatting, playing games and cooking I feel a part of the household and I will miss my new family very much when I leave.

Since 2012, ICS has sent more than 15,000 young people from the UK abroad, to volunteer alongside young volunteers from the country they’re in.

On return to the UK, Ben and the other volunteers will complete an ‘Action at Home’ project, ensuring that the new skills they have acquired also benefit their local communities.

To find out more visit volunteerics.org