On Tuesday evening, Elan and Grace (2022 Leavers) returned to Calne to give a brilliant talk about their adventures in Kenya, which was made possible by the Calne Foundation Trust Enrichment Fund.

Their entertaining presentation was full of stories and videos of their time with the school ‘Bluebells’ which helped us to see the amazing impact they had on the children’s lives and education, while also having so much fun teaching and enjoying the beautiful sites and countryside.

They also talked about the process of applying for Enrichment Fund support through the Calne Foundation Trust, and took us through their trip planning and preparation for the interview process. After a rigorous and competitive interview process, they were succesfully awarded a sum of money which covered their travel cost, so it was well worth applying for the support, and the funding made their three-week trip possible.

I particularly enjoyed hearing about their experience teaching in the city of Watamu, as well as all the connections they made on the trip and how they still keep in touch to this day. They were very well looked after by the school and the local people, who invited them both into their homes for meals and took them for days out.

It was such an excellent talk and I know has inspired many of us in the current UVI to start exploring options for our own adventures next year. 

Daisy, UVI