Kenya Experience 2007

a Freedom to Flourish project

Info Sheet

March 2007

Introduction

A visit to a developing country can have a powerful and positive effect on a young person’s motivation, worldview and career. These days many opportunities exist to visit developing countries, but most often these are taken up by university students and graduates. So this trip is especially for Island young people who left school at 16, who may otherwise be unlikely to enjoy such an opportunity. By spending three weeks helping to build small dams alongside local people in an arid part of Kenya, around ten young adults from the Island will develop citizenship skills by broadening their horizons and growing in confidence, and indeed in their potential to flourish. As such this proposal has gained the approval of the IoM’s Positive National Identity (‘Freedom to Flourish’) Committee.

‘Excellent Development’, its aid project, and its Manx links

Excellent Development (ED) is a charity which is working with communities in an arid part of Kenya to build dams and plant trees. It has an office in London, but has real Manx connections:

a) it is funded by the IoM Government’s overseas aid committee (£15,000 in 2006-07);

B) the Founder of ED is Manxman Simon Maddrell;

c) groups of IoM young people have gone out to help and to learn for a few weeks in summer 2005 and 2006; a proven – and very positive - track record exists.

A trip exclusively for IoM young people in summer 2007

Participants will be 18-24 years old, but they must have left school at 16. IoM College students (over 18) are welcome. The trip will be for three weeks in July 2007, and unlike previous trips with ED it will be exclusively from the Island.  As before, the trip itself will be managed and led by Quest Overseas, an organisation which specialises in such visits and works closely with ED. It is important that participants will be required to ‘tell their story’ once back on the Island. The IoM One World Centre will help facilitate this, as well input into a pre-trip briefing day run on the IoM by Quest.

Money

Total costs will be in the region of £2,500 per participant, including international air fare, in-country travel and accommodation, and costs of ED and Quest. £2,000 of this is being generously sponsored by a range of local charitable trusts, companies, and bursaries. Each participant is required to raise £250 cash + travel to/from London + insurance & medical costs. It is estimated this will be about £500 all told.

Key dates

Deadline for submitting application forms: Mon 23 April

Selection interviews (compulsory): Sat 12 May

Briefing day (compulsory): Sat 16 June

Kenya trip (approx): 7-28 July

For further enquiries or an application form please contact Phil Craine (Freedom to Flourish Kenya Experience Coordinator) – tel: 672224; email: pcraine@christian-aid.org

Links: www.excellentdevelopment.com

www.questoverseas.com

www.freedomtoflourish.co.im