The GVI Trust’s International Scholarship Programme helps young people access International Education Experiences with the aim of creating more aware, informed and empowered global citizens. We’d like to introduce you to some of the students who embarked on a 10 day trip to Southern Thailand on a conservation trip.
Meet Kai Lee
Prior to travelling to Thailand, Kai Lee took an active role as a member of the Thailand Volunteering Committee. She has raised money for various charities and she put these skills to good use for this trip. Kai Lei is studying A levels and is she was especially looking forward to putting the theory she has learnt in her A level Environmental Studies into practice in Thailand. She was most looking forward to working with the sea turtles!
What issues did you encounter that affect the people and environment in Thailand?
“I think that the main issues were pollution and lack of education. The importance of the environment and the consequences of some actions weren’t obvious to most people. The availability of jobs without the knowledge of different languages was sparse.”
How will your experience help you back home?
I believe this experience will help me to be more conscious of the impacts of my own actions and the actions of others. It’s also provided me with some interesting experience, such as working with the turtles and beach cleans, that may help with further work in the future surrounding marine conversation.
What were the highlights of your trip?
For me, the highlight of the trip was attending the different sites for turtle conservation. We got to clean the pools and sterilise the turtles so that they don’t get fungal infections. I also enjoyed being able to see first hand the impacts of our own day to day lives, for example during the beach cleanup.
I believe that it has allowed me to take a closer look at my own life and make alterations that are more ecologically beneficial and can confidently encourage others to do the same.
Can you comment on your personal growth?
Working on this project has encouraged me to be more outgoing as well as more confident with myself and within a group. I feel as though it has re-enforced my ambition to become a marine biologist. I hope to continue making a difference working with different projects in the future!
We wish Kai Lei all the best with her studies and her future endeavours!
