GOING into the unknown was a challenge Zoe Higgins couldn't resist.
Now, after returning from a three-month volunteering trip to Nigeria, the 23-year-old, of Anlaby, is still bubbling about her time there.
"It was a truly life-changing trip," she said.
"When I was accepted to go on the scheme, they didn't tell me what I would be doing. That made it all the more exciting."
Zoe, who works as a financial adviser, secured her place with the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) charity after passing a series of assessment tests.
She had to raise £800 in sponsorship to fund the trip and is now keen to thank everyone who supported her.
"Until this, the farthest I had been was the Canary Islands," she said.
"The whole point of going there was to help people overcome poverty. Some of the sights I saw will stay with me forever.
"I was in two quite rural areas, helping on a couple of education schemes. One involved building a water tank, another was laying a new floor at a nursery. Before we put down the new floor, there was nothing but bare ground."
Zoe said most of the children attending the schools she was based in also had little or no clothing until fresh supplies were sourced by the volunteers. She also helped acquire a wheelchair for a disabled five-year-old after hearing a heartbreaking story about him.
"This little lad had been disowned by his parents and was living with his grandparents," said Zoe.
"Before we got the wheelchair for him, he would literally crawl five miles to school every day."
Zoe lived with a host Nigerian family during her stay.
She said: "In some ways, I didn't know what to expect.
"Apart from the different food and culture I experienced, what struck me most was how accommodating and friendly the people were."
She is now determined to continue promoting the VSO's work. She said: "I volunteered because I wanted to make a difference.
"Although I've had that opportunity, I'm still part of a national programme being run by the VSO to raise awareness of poverty issues in countries such as Nigeria and encourage more people to volunteer like I did."
