Teens determined to benefit empower women are fundraising to improve the lives of people in Zambia.

A 19-year-old from Walthamstow is part of a group of Edinburgh University students working to deliver overseas development projects.

In partnership with charity initiative Edinburgh Global Partnerships, Fiona McDonald and seven other students are fundraising to the construction of a zero-waste oil development centre converting groundnuts, soya and sunflower beans into oil which will provide employment for women in the Mufumbwe district of Zambia.

Over five years the project is intended to empower more than 1,500 women.

The students leading the project are looking to raise £9000 for the project.

Miss McDonald said: "I joined the group after hearing about it around Campus, but I wasn’t completely sure of what it was about yet. When I was applying for the volunteer position you had to order which ones were your preference to do and although they are all incredible and life-changing projects, the Zambia building of an oil construction centre really stood out to me, particularly because its focus is female empowerment.

The group launched the community-led development project in October and it concludes this summer.

The team are set to travel to Zambia to launch the project and will partner with the Chiseke Women's Organisation in Zambia to train women in business-skills and reproductive health education.

She added: "The most important part of the project is that when our team leaves Zambia, it will be able to be self-sustaining and continue to be of profit and contribution to the lives of so many women and in turn their communities, and this is something which makes it really unique.

"It will be able to independently continue to provide income and this will be upheld through the use of the business-skill training and adult-literacy skills that the Chiseke Women’s Organisation will be able to provide.

"In the long term, the aim is to eradicate poverty and the introduction of a construction project such as this is essential to reach this end goal."

The group are conducting events such as pub quizzes, bucketing in stores across Edinburgh, a ceilidh and club nights to raise the £9000.

Currently, the team have raised £1,424.93.

Miss McDonald said: "Growing up in Walthamstow really affected my outlook and joining a group such as this I would say is an important part of this as I have grown up in such a diverse, multi-cultural society where helping and building up others has been just as important as your own life.

"I went to a girls school where there was a huge emphasis on female empowerment which has stuck with me and I think is definitely one of the reasons it really appealed to me. The project will change lives and is intended to help 1,500 women in the period of five years which is amazing and something I am very proud to be part of."

For more information or to donate, visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=TeamZambia&pageUrl=1