Making a Difference

“Seeing them smile was the greatest prize of all.

Zayaan Ansari, Fayrouz El Gharabawy and Jana Abdel Aty | Year 12 Students

Kindness, Gratitude and Humanity are three values which underpin our DESSCares ethos and are three concepts we can all appreciate and adopt. But to take things one step further and ‘make a difference’ amongst some of the poorest communities in the world is something to really be proud of. A team of Year 12 students recently entered the Race4Good initiative which sought to significantly enhance the standard and quality of life of a family in Nepal. Not only did their project win the competition, but their ideas also became a reality. Zayaan, Fayrouz and Jana tell us more…

Race4Good is a Global Youth League that enables like-minded students to collaborate and engage in high-impact learning and develop practical problemsolving skills. Students are given the opportunity to solve some of society’s most critical issues and see their plans come to fruition. Through fast-paced, online race formats, teams were given a specific number of days to develop an uplift plan for chosen communities. These included complex issues such as healthcare, infrastructure, design, education and water harvesting. Our team was made up of fifteen students who worked hard to significantly improve the lives of numerous Nepalese villagers who experienced financial hardships. Our winning idea was to teach two young orphans how to make a traditional Nepalese delicacy “achar”, a side dish comprised of pickled vegetables and a combination of spices. This idea was personally funded by a member of the generous judging panel and is being successfully implemented and developed right now! This idea has positively changed the lives of the two young orphans as they now have a sustainable source of income, enabling them to attend school to receive a formal education.

Ram Jali and the Rai brothers were also positively impacted by the efforts and creative thinking by the participants of Race4Good. We devised a detailed plan with cost and feasibility analysis, allowing for the implementation of a medicinal plants business. It has allowed the Ram Jali family to gain a stable source of income and therefore a better quality of life. The project also promoted healthy habits within the community, which is crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rai brothers suffered immensely after several family circumstances and the added pressure from the pandemic. Their small-scale pickle business has provided them new opportunities and hope for the future. They are now able to buy adequate food and avoid malnutrition and their youngest brother Gayan can afford to attend school. As a team, we enhanced our problem-solving and evaluation skills, as well as our ability to work efficiently together. We are happy to have been able to use our privilege in a way that benefitted these wonderful people. Seeing them smile was the greatest prize of all.