Being engineers, it’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the day to day press of project planning, hitting deadlines, and assuring delivery. It’s an all-consuming lifestyle at times, which can leave anyone blinkered to what’s going on in the outside world. That’s why, when we were contacted by local schoolgirl Lily Seddon, we decided to stop for a minute and help her out.
With just a little support from us and many others, Lily was able to meet her fundraising target to travel to Kenya. There, she’d not only be helping several Kenyan communities undertake life-changing projects, but learning about herself and her own abilities too.
“I recently got back from my month away in Kenya and I can say that all the hard work fundraising definitely paid off. Kenya was a truly life-changing experience that I will never forget,” says Lily.
Over her four weeks, Lily travelled across five different camps and delivered a range of hands-on project work, which included tasks as varied and physical as putting up elephant deterrent fences, laying bricks for a kitchen at a primary school, to de-worming goats and cleaning up beaches.
“I saw lots of the Kenyan wildlife,” says Lily, “both while on safari, and underwater when scuba diving. I also learnt a lot about the people and their culture, and how different their way of life is compared to ours.” There’s no doubt that, not only did Lily help create change while in Kenya, but also brought home valuable lessons about the environment, poverty, climate and her own potential.
“Both the fundraising and the actual expedition have been so rewarding and have helped me gain a lot of new skills. The support from you at QEM made such a big difference and I’m very grateful. Thank you again for having such a big impact on my fundraising journey. I managed to reach the £4000 target and it would not have been possible without your generosity.”
One person, improving countless other lives in a distant country, protecting the environment, and learning a whole lot about herself on the way. Well done Lily, and thank for making us part of the journey. You’ll go far!
