Ruby’s Indian Adventure // We Need Your Help

This is me 13 years ago, its one of my favourite photographs of my little girl Ruby and I. I’m writing this post today about and for her, a more personal post than usual but I hope that you stick with me as this is deeply important alongside all the other work that I do. I can’t describe the love I feel for my daughter she is my world, 14 years have passed by so very fast but I’ve cherished every minute of having her in our lives. I am so very proud to be her Mum, she is beautiful, smart, funny and unique, she is my friend and we laugh together a lot!

We as a family encourage, embrace and challenge our boundaries, we push each other to be better people but do it all with love and grace. We simply like being together as a unit but we also want each other to achieve amazing things and Ruby has the chance to do one of these amazing things next year. Instead of saying oh no that’s not for me and retreating into her box, she studiously thought it all through and even though what she is about to embark on is a little scary she has thrown herself in at the deep end so she never has to say what if?

Ruby has been given the chance to take part in a World Challenge expedition to Kerala, South India in July 2020. World Challenge is an organisation that is about making big things happen through transformative adventure. They believe in the power of extraordinary experiences, and this will allow her to see the world differently and develop her confidence, independence and resilience, to help her learn and grow.

To be able to take part in this experience she needs to raise the funds to go, as a 14 year old she knows its not an easy task to find the sum of £2700 all on her own, she wants to be able to work hard to raise as much as she possibly can with our support and guidance. Doing this will teach her some powerful lifelong lessons, the value of money, how to budget and negotiate, skills that she will definitely need on her expedition. These costs cover all of the transport, food and accommodation and support costs so while she is on her adventure she can focus fully on the experience and the work she will be involved in. This is most certainly not a holiday or a school trip, she will be part of a group and together they will be expected to take responsibility for arranging their own food, where they will stay and what work they will be doing.

One of the main factors for going on this adventure was the contribution she will give to the community of Kerala. She will be teamed with a local social organisation and will take part in work that the community needs, offering a unique insight into local people’s way of life. She will have the opportunity to help construct sanitation facilities or renovate a school, all of the projects support the UN Sustainable Development goals. After spending time working alongside her rural hosts and hopefully making some great friendships she will then be trekking through the lush green valleys of the spice mountains and tea plantations, immersing herself totally in the amazing biodiversity of this area and fully embracing the place and people.

We as her parents are so very proud that she wants to make a mark on the world and make a difference, to be able to immerse herself on this stunning journey through the land of spices would mean so very much to both her and us. Having the chance to make an impact on a local rural community, being part of their daily lives and hopefully teaching then a little of our culture as well as learning about theirs will be utterly fascinating and life affirming. To be able to be surrounded by such a vibrant culture at such a young age, witnessing such beautiful diverse lands and being able to experience a different way of life that only this adventure can give is quite awe inspiring.

To be able to help her achieve such a thing at this stage in her young life is filling us with pride, we want her to grab everything with both hands, eyes wide open because there are some amazing life experiences to be had if you only reach out and take them. She has set up a Go Fund Me page to help raise some of the money as part of the range of things she is doing to gather as much of the cost as she can. Many cars are to be washed and cakes to be baked in the coming months.

I as her Mum would be so very very grateful if you could help her achieve her goal, a contribution from you would mean so much to me and her, your generosity and love would fill my heart with joy. To help my beautiful girl grow into an even more confident young woman and set her on the path to a future that is shining so bright means the absolute world.

Thank You