I recently participated in the global odyssey which was a student led program. My friends and I set up a fashion stall where we sold handmade items like crochet keychains, macrame pieces, bead jewelry and other accessories. I was in charge of making the crochet keychains which was actually more fun than I expected. The goal wasn’t just to sell cool stuff but to raise money for an NGO that supports people with disabilities. It felt really rewarding knowing that the funds we made would go toward helping people who needed it. We all put in a lot of effort to make the stall a success and it was an amazing experience.

LO3- Initiate and plan a CAS experience

From the very beginning this project required us to take charge and plan everything out. We decided what items to make and how to display them. My role was to create the crochet keychains but we also had to work together to figure out other tasks like setting up the stall and managing the sales. Planning everything out was definitely a lot of work. There was a ton of talking nad figuring stuff out and it did kind of overwhelming at times. But honestly it really helped get better at staying organised and being more of a leader. I learned that being proactive is super important and even just a little bit of planning can totally change how the event turns out. It was like all that stress paid off when I saw everything come together at the end. It was honestly such a great feeling to see it all work out.

LO4- Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience

This project had its ups and downs. There were moments when it seriously felt like we wouldn’t get all the crochet keychains done on time or when setting up the stall was a total disaster. Things weren’t going as smoothly as we hoped and it was kind of stressful. But instead of giving up we kept going and stayed focused on what we needed to do. Everyone stepped up and worked hard. There were also times when the foot traffic at the stall was really low and sales weren’t anywhere near what we thought they’d be. It could have been discouraging but we just kept the enrgy up, kept pushing our stuff and stayed positive through it all. It really taught me a lot about perseverance about how sometimes you have to keep going even when things feel like they are not going your way because the end result is worth it. When I finally saw how much we were able to raise I realized all that hard work and sticking with it really paid off in the end.

LO6- Engagement with issues of global significance

One of the best part of this experience was knowing what we were doing for a bigger cause. The money we raised wasn’t just for any random charity but it was helping people with disabilites who face a lot of challenges. As student we could contribute to something way bigger than ourselves. It made me realise that even small things like making and selling handmade products can make a difference. We helped raise awareness and also gave some real support to the NGO. It really made me realise the struggles people face and how even the small effort can make a difference. By the end of the event I felt so much more connected to everything and even more motivated to keep supporting the cause even if it was just a little bit of what I raised.