At the start of the Summer Break, 13 Upper School students Amelia, Andrew, David (Head Boy in the academic year 2016-17), Finn, Harry, Jasmine, Jesse, Justin, Kirsty, Mei, Morgan, Nicole and Warner, together with two teachers Mr Lloyd, Ms Cliffe and her husband Martin, set off to work on a volunteer house building project in Kerala, located in a small province in the southwestern part of India, near the coast of the Arabian Sea. They joined the Keralan Community Action Project to build a secure, well-constructed house for less fortunate families in the backwaters of Lake Vambenad, Kerala.
The aim of the trip is to give the team a positive educational experience, by giving a hand to people in need in another part of Asia. The students were asked to use their entrepreneurial skills and fundraise for the purchase of building materials. The students successfully raised HK$100,000, with every dollar raised going straight to the beneficiary. The amount is impressive and most importantly this marks the success of a one year-long commitment. Students had to deploy their resilience, as they faced genuinely hard work at every stage.
During the two weeks, the group tried their heart out and held their own in very tough conditions. The students worked in 30-35 degrees heat and 90+% humidity every day without complaining. They successfully finished the superstructure of the house only by their bare hands without any electronic machines and help. The group were also invited to visit state and private school, churches, temples and sites of historical interest around Kerala, followed by a small amount of relaxation time in the Spice Hills at the end.
Thank you to Mr Lloyd who provided us this opportunity to show our Leadership in action. He started the Project 15 years ago and has built nine houses so far, including one in Summer 2014 and one in this Summer break by Harrow Hong Kong students. We look forward to volunteering again on this particular project in another couple of years time.
