Every year many young people in Britain finish school and then take a year off before they start work or go to university. Some of them go to other countries and work as volunteers Volunteers give their time to help people - for example, they work in schools or hospitals.or they help with conservation.

Mike Coleman is 19 and lives in Canterbury in England. He wants to become a teacher.but now he's living in Namibia He's working in a hospital near Katima Mullo. He says, I'm working with the doctors and nurses here to help sick people. I'm not a doctor but i can do a lot of things to help for example, I help to carry people who can't walk Sometimes I go to villages in the mobile hospital. too. There aren't many doctors here so they need help from people like me. I don't get any money but that's OK, I'm not here for the money.

I'm staying here for two months and I'm living in a small house with five other volunteers. The work is hand and the days are long but I'm enjoying my life here. I'm learning a lot about life in southern Africa and about myself! When I finish the two months work went to travel in and around Namibia for three werks-for example, I want to see the ani mals in the Okavango Delta in Botswana