A FORMER Penglais School pupil has thanked Saint Padarn Lodge for allowing him to spend an “incredible” four months on the Indian Ocean islands of Zanzibar.

It was reported in the Cambrian News in January that Rhys Jones, who graduated from the University of Birmingham with a degree in geography, was seeking help to raise enough money to allow him to lead an education project on the semi-autonomous part of Tanzania in April.

Mr Jones has this week thanked the Saint Padarn lodge Freemasons for helping him reach his target.

“From April to July of 2016 I volunteered abroad for four months on a project impacting livelihoods and communities in Tanzania,” Mr Jones said.

“This was made possible due to a generous donation from the Saint Padarn Lodge, allowing me to exceed my fund-raising target and to have an incredible experience.”

Speaking of his time living with a local family, Mr Jones said: “On 4 April, I arrived in Zanzibar, ready to be involved in another culture and experience.

“After two weeks of training and orientation I communicated with our partner schools, organisations and enterprises dotted around the Unguja island of Zanzibar.

“My family could speak good English and I lived in a property with no running water and I relished it."

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