After 'hiding in a dark corner' a Stroud man left England to fight poverty and injustice in Nepal.

Igor Dominguez, 33, travelled to Nepal in June 2018 with development charity the Voluntary Service Overseas.

He explained how the trip gave him new meaning in life, after he carried a sense of emptiness during his time in Stroud.

"I was insecure and lacked the confidence to be an active citizen, so hiding from the world felt like the safest option," he explained.

But Igor went on to describe how after he gained the confidence to make the journey to Nepal - his experience was life changing.

Igor worked to make sure that poor and marginalised children in Nepal got their education – particularly girls.

"Discrimination and cultural norms are keeping girls out of school in Nepal," said Igor.

"Our team of volunteers worked within their communities to challenge attitudes."

He lived with a host family so that he could become fully immersed in the community, this helped Igor understand the challenges the community face.

"Early marriage, domestic duties and menstrual taboos mean that girls not showing up to class or dropping out due to family pressures," added Igor.

Since his Nepalese experience, Igor has chosen to become a teacher - following his graduation from University of Gloucestershire.

He now wants other young people to take the plunge and consider volunteer work.