Volunteer trip to Africa a family affair

Jennifer Spencer of Port aux Basques is preparing for a trip of a lifetime to volunteer in Africa, but she isn't going alonethe trip is a family affair.

• Jorja Hinks, 9, works to build school for Ugandan children

Spencer is headed to Uganda next month with her mother to volunteer in the of the town of Jinja, and the charity they're travelling with was started by her 11-year-old cousin Jorja Hinks.

Spencer said Hinks has had an interest in global outreach since she was a child.

"When she was six, she had a sponsor child and relentlessly wanted to meet her," Spencer said.

"Her mom told her if she could fundraise, they could potentially go to meet her, so she set a goal of $1,000 and raised over $10,000, and that's when the ball dropped, and it's been rolling ever since for Jorja's Journey."

Now, Spencer and her mother are joining the cause, along with a team of eight others. The group will travel to Uganda on March 18, where they will work to build a school, a dormatory building and help an orphanage.

Spencer said the group will be continuing work in the town of Jinja that was started by Jorja's Journey last August and will be preparing for future work to be done in July.

The group isundertaking a number of fundraisers, including their Brick by Brick campaign, which will sell bricks used to build the school for five dollars each and display the donor's name in the school.

A life-changing experience

Spencer said the trip will last for 15 days and will be an incredible experience.

"I think this trip is going to be life-changing, absolutely ... it's just so exciting and overwhelming at the same time," she said.

Spencer said her and her mother both wanted to find a way to give back, and both work with children, so the trip provided agreat opportunity to volunteer together.

"I couldn't imagine not doing it with my mom, because her and I have always been really close," she said.

"I have two other sisters, but mom and I have always had this closeness, and we've worked in a similar field for a long time so it's going to be amazing."