A young woman from Falmouth has been shortlisted for a photography award for her shot of a fellow volunteer in an African classroom.

Megan Drury Roderick's photo was chosen out of nearly 300 entries from across the world ahead of International Volunteer Day on Wednesday December 5.

The competition aimed to capture the impact and experiences of young volunteers on the UK government funded International Citizen Service (ICS) programme.

Megan, 23, took the photo whilst volunteering in Nigeria from June to September 2017 with the international development organisation VSO.

Speaking about her time volunteering, she said: "Without being clichéd, it changed my outlook on life in every way. I think it’s very important for young people to get involved with projects such as ICS. The work that ICS does and the experience of volunteering is eye-opening.”

Describing her photo, Megan said: "In my photo, my fellow UK volunteer Rosie is painting a map of Africa on the school wall of the primary school in our host village, Igangan in Osun State, Nigeria.

"We wanted to provide something lasting that would help the children improve their geographical knowledge."

ICS brings together young people from the UK and developing countries to volunteer in developing countries in Africa and Asia. Since 2012, ICS has enabled more than 17,000 young people from the UK to volunteer overseas.

Before leaving for Nigeria, Megan raised more than £800 which will ensure that communities in developing countries can continue to benefit from the work of volunteers.

Megan said: “Educational resources in our community were minimal and often very poor. For example, the local high school had severe roof damage and during the rainy season this prevented many of the children from learning to their full potential as they were being constantly rained on. My ICS team fundraised both within the community as well as encouraging our own family and friends to donate, in order to purchase new roof materials and rebuild the roof. We also painted several murals to provide some visual learning for the children.

"I feel very privileged to have been shortlisted for this competition and for taking part in ICS overall. I hope my photo highlights the wonderful and diverse work that ICS volunteers are doing. My experience in Nigeria was incredible. I worked alongside a fantastic group of people, such as the wonderful host community and fellow volunteers, both from the UK and Nigeria. I learnt so much from everyone I encountered and feel so honoured to have been part of something so special."

Felicity Morgan, Director of ICS at VSO, said: “Thanks to UK aid, young volunteers are making a positive difference in the world’s poorest communities. Megan’s photo gives a snapshot of just some of the great work being done, and we’re proud to celebrate them this International Volunteer Day.”

ICS placements are available for departure from April 2019, and 18 to 25 year olds from Falmouth and surrounding areas are encouraged to apply. To find out more, please visit www.volunteerics.org.