Hello

My name is Josh Thomas i'm 17 years old and i live in Palmerston North New Zealand. In September 2009 i'm going to Italy for a year long AFS high school exchange. I'm doing this because i want to be put outside my comfort zone and i want to experience another culture. I've always wanted to learn another language and Italian seems as good and as hard as any. I expect to gain a lot from this experience. Firstly i'll become a more independent person as i'll be thrown in the deep end and be surrounded by a new culture, people and language. And secondly this experience will help me become a citizen of the world rather than just a New Zealand Citizen. Not only will i gain a lot through this exchange i also hope to create a strong relationship with my host family and friends and teach them about New Zealand culture. As of right now (February 2009) i have 8 months until i leave and i need to raise $11,000. I'm working at a local restaurant 3-5 nights a week. Along with school and cultural commitments this gives me a very hectic schedule which doesn't leave much time to do any major fundraising. This is where i could do with your help. To sponsor my AFS program now, please click the ChipIn button above. I thank you in advance for your donation it means a lot to me and you're really helping make a dream come true.

Thanks
Josh Thomas