Taken from the newspaper.Tasha is the one in the hat.

Kenya share experience?
AFRICAN ADVENTURE: The ten members of Kenya Experience meet for the first time at the One World Centre in Castletown for a briefing, led by Beth Chapman (far right) of trip organiser Quest Overseas, along with two Ramsey Grammar School students (front row, left) going on a separate trip to take part in the project



By FERGUS MCEWAN
TEN young people from across the Island have been chosen to help improve lives in Africa on the first entirely Manx project by an overseas charity.
They will spend some weeks contributing to Excellent Development's ongoing aid project to build dams and plant trees in Mtato Andei, an arid region of southern Kenya.Each of the 18 to 24-year-olds taking part in the trip, led by expedition specialists Quest Overseas, left full-time education at the age of 16 and is either working, taking a course at Isle of Man College or unemployed.The project, nicknamed Kenya Experience, has been backed by the Island's Positive National Identity Committee as a good example of its slogan Freedom to Flourish.Co-ordinator Phil Craine said: 'A visit to a developing country can have a powerful and positive effect on a young person's motivation, world view and career.'These days, many opportunities exist to visit developing countries, but most often these are taken up by university students and graduates. So this trip is especially important for young Manx people who left school at 16, who may otherwise be unlikely to enjoy such an opportunity.'Through this trip they will develop citizenship skills by broadening their horizons and growing in confidence, and indeed in their potential to flourish.'Excellent Development was set up by Manxman Simon Maddrell and receives funding from the government's overseas aid committee, which gave it £15,000 in the last financial year.Groups of volunteers who worked with the charity over the last two summers included young people from the Island, but this is the charity's first wholly Manx team.Among the lucky recruits are Isle of Man College students Kristina Misselbrook, 19, from Jurby, Martin Higson, 19, from Colby, and Dion Corrin from Castletown, who is about to turn 18. They told the Examiner they had applied for a place on the trip so they could 'make a difference'.Dion said: 'Building a dam will give villagers water for a couple of years, and planting trees will mean they eventually have more firewood, so we will be doing a lot for the population over there.'It's better than sending money, because you don't know where it actually goes. But we will be there and be building something and seeing the impact it has.'Kristina said: 'I felt like we take a lot for granted and you don't know what other people's living conditions are like until you have done it yourself. We are not going for a holiday, we want the people we meet to get as much out of this as we do.'Michael said: 'I was thinking about the cultural aspects of the trip, having the chance to learn with the tribesmen how each other live and having the experience of actually being in Africa surrounded by people you hear about but never meet.'Each admitted being nervous at the prospect of living on a farm with no electricity or running water after dark, thousands of miles away from their families and friends.'We won't have our families there but it will be an opportunity to bond with each other and act like a family together, because we will depend on each other for help,' Katrina said.'It will make us appreciate what we have at home, where we can just run a tap whenever we want or go to a supermarket,' Dion added.All three vowed to keep a journal describing their impressions of native food, music, language and culture so they can see how their attitudes change during the trip and relate more of their adventures to others when they return.'We all have preconceptions about what the people will be like and what the conditions will be like, but we won't know until we get there,' Michael said. 'I'm sure the climate, heat and early morning starts will give us some stress at times.'We've been told the villagers are rural people who are very conservative, but very welcoming. I hope that will rub off on us and make us more willing to share with them.'Katrina, Michael and Dion said they were keen to participate in local life as much as possible while they are away and would consider making a similar trip in future if this experience is a positive one.Katrina said: 'We've been told the villagers are excitable. They like to dance and sing and want us to join in. It will really help to know they want us to be there.'Hopefully we will be able to go into local schools and teach children about the water cycle and forest conservation, to explain what we are doing there and help them understand the importance of looking after their resources,' Dion added.About £20,000 (80 per cent of the full cost) was given towards the Kenya Experience from the Steam Packet Company, Isle of Man Bank, Strand Cleaners, Louis Group, MBL Financial, H & S Davidson Trust, Young Citizens Fund and the Department of Education.