Volunteer Profile: Meet Imogen
Over the past 18 months, Made With Hope has grown into a wonderful community of people dedicated to alleviating poverty in Tanzania. Our trustee board and volunteers work extremely hard to develop multiple aspects of Made With Hope. We thought it’d be nice to introduce our trustees and volunteers to you so you can get to know them a little better!
The aim of this blog is for us to introduce Imogen to all of our lovely followers! Firstly, we’ll start with some quick-fire questions….
Meet Imogen!
Name: Imogen Ing-Simmons
Role at Made With Hope: Research and Project Design Volunteer
Place you grew up: Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
Favourite food: Veggie momos- a type of Nepalese dumpling that I became obsessed with when living in Kathmandu this summer.
Favourite song/album: Jagged Little Pill- Alanis Morrisette
Favourite thing you’ve watched on TV/at the movies: I love documentaries- anything by Louis Theroux or Stacey Dooley
Favourite hobby: Going to gigs
Best place you’ve been: My favourite place of all time is a beach in Cornwall called Kyanace Cove- it's beautiful and they do the best cream teas! Visiting the Whitsunday Islands in Australia was pretty magical too.
Place you’d most like to visit: Colombia- or Tanzania to see Made With Hope’s projects in action!
Biggest motivation: Making a positive difference in people’s lives.
Now for some longer questions:
Why are you passionate about international development?
I was first introduced to the concept of international development during a trip to Madagascar in 2010, which was the first time I had ever been out of my comfort zone to a developing country. The astounding beauty of the country and the friendliness of the people was amazing to experience but the levels of poverty were eye-opening, for a 16-year-old from the UK! I have always been interested in travelling, learning about other cultures and working in a job which makes a difference, and a career in international development gives me a chance to do all 3.
What made you decide to get involved with MWH?
I’m currently studying for a masters degree in International Development at the University of Manchester and when I came across MWH I thought it was a great opportunity to get involved in an organisation doing brilliant work, and to put what I am learning into practice. I was really inspired by Eleanor’s story of how MWH was started and the dedication and enthusiasm of everyone involved.
What do you enjoy most about working at MWH?
Being part of a lovely, motivated team who all feel passionately about making a real difference to communities in Tanzania. Because we are a small charity I really feel like I am making a tangible difference and my work is valued, and it has been great to meet new people after I moved to Manchester without really knowing anyone here.
What are you most looking forward to at MWH in the future?
I am looking forward to seeing how the organisation develops in the future, as it currently is growing from strength to strength! We will also be delivering workshops to schools in the local area soon, where we challenge the children to build their own handwashing station like the ones used in our project in Tanzania! We have been working hard to set this up for the last few months and I am really excited to see it in action, and get out there to inspire a new generation of children about international development.