A DUNFERMLINE graduate is raising money to go to Kenya for two months in order to break down the barriers for disabled and deaf people in the region.

Katie Aitken, 21, will be living with a local family while she integrates herself into her new way of life as a local in the African country.

She said that disabled and deaf people are often discriminated against – some Kenyans believe the latter have been cursed by witchcraft – and wanted to try and help make a difference.

Katie told the Press: “I’ll be going to Nandi County in Kenya on October 5 and I’m volunteering through the International Citizen’s Service (ICS), which is a part-government funded organisation.

"The charity I’ll be working with is called Volunteer Overseas (VSO) and its vision is ‘a world without poverty’.

“It’s all about bringing people together, from all walks of life, to fight poverty and essentially change the world – slowly but surely.

“I’ll be volunteering with a group of around seven or eight UK volunteers and a similar number of volunteer counterparts who are from Kenya.

"I will be living with a host family and sharing a room with one of the counterpart volunteers."

Katie continued: “The project I’m part of is called the Livelihoods projects. I will be working with deaf people to help them integrate into their community and help to break down the social barriers between disabled people and non-disabled people.

“There’s a lot of stigma and old-fashioned beliefs around deaf people and it’s all about giving deaf people equal opportunities in terms of education, employment etc.

"One of the worst beliefs about disabled people over there is that deaf people are cursed by witchcraft.”

Katie, who has just graduated from Stirling University with a degree in Sociology and Criminology, will be undertaking a number of fundraising activities to raise £800.

The money goes to the charity so they can continue to provide people with the opportunity to go to impoverished countries to help.

She said: “People think that’s for me to pay for stuff but it’s not. It’s for the charity and that money will go to them to keep running the programme in future years. They pay for all travel, accommodation, food and jags, of which I need 10 before I go.

“In order to raise money I’m doing a few different challenges. I’m doing a £5 food challenge, in which I have to use that money to get breakfast, lunch and dinner for five days, so I’ll be living off rice and lentils for a week basically.

“I’m going to climb Ben Cleuch, which isn’t too high. Then I’m going to do Ben More, which is slightly higher but they are both close to me so that cuts down any costs involved.

“I’ll do a bake sale at my mum’s school, where she works as a teacher, when the kids go back. I’ve also contacted my local rotary club and the women’s institute to see if they would be willing to help out with any donations.”

With not long to go until the proper planning begins, Katie admits she is started to feel the nerves kicking in.

She said: “I’m nervous when I think about learning about it because you just want to get there and start doing it. Then when I mull it over I dread it and then come home to all my luxuries. I have to bring toilet roll and stuff like that. I’m excited but nervous.”

You can help Katie reach her goal of £800 by donating here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/katie-aitken2