Lily, who is the daughter of Regional Operations Manager, Celia recently travelled to Uganda with a group of university students to take part in a community project, whilst representing Excelcare.
Ahead of her trip, Excelcare agreed to provide sponsorship to Lily, which would help to fund the important community work they were doing in Uganda. Due to the support provided, Lily printed our logo on her t-shirts to represent the family whilst abroad.
The purpose of her trip was to build a playground for a school, not only for the children to play on, but to encourage more children to attend the school and showcase the importance of education.
Whilst out there, Lily and the rest of the group worked with local builders each morning to make progress with the project. This included digging holes, moving concrete, cleaning and preparing materials and adding colour to each part. Lily said, “This was very challenging in the heat but it was extremely rewarding to see the progress that we made each day. We would always work alongside builders who were amazing and helped us with every step.”
In the afternoons, the group spent time with the children playing games, taking part in activities and playing a part in their education.
During the indoor sessions, the group would make paper chains and crowns, as well as skipping ropes using banana leaves. This provided time for the group to get to know the children more and help them improve their craft skills.
During outdoor sessions, the group would take part in sports with the children, race them and do competitive games like tug of war. After spending time with the children and reflecting on her own life, Lily said, “The kids were always so happy, and it has made me appreciate what I have a lot. I have learnt you do not need lots to be happy.”
Over the course of the 4 weeks, the group worked incredibly hard to ensure the playground was ready before they left. When the children first saw what they had made, the smiles on their faces made it all worth it!
“The trip was a once in a lifetime experience and I want to personally thank Excelcare for sponsoring my fundraising page. The money they gave in addition to the money the group raised came to an amazing total of £35,000. All of this money is what made the playground possible and has put a smile on all of the children’s faces,” Said Lily.
We’re incredibly proud of Lily’s achievements and very proud that her hard work helped to change the lives of people who are not as fortunate as we are.