In the last week of term we had our first E.G.G ‘charity camp’ at SMC, to raise funds for our school charity, Educating Girls Globally.

Originally labelled the ‘tent city’, after a streak of terrible weather earlier in the week, we still proceeded with the camp - instead moving inside and therefore losing the ‘tent’ aspect of our event! We had around 100 girls all setting up bedding in the Atrium and engaging in a very communal environment, but still with a very real sense of discomfort, due to limited food and personal space.

We had a range of activities and ‘chance cards’, to keep girls engaged and thinking about the everyday comforts they may often take for granted. This meant some girls ended up lifting sandbags to earn extra ‘tokens’ to pay for dinner, or were put in the camp ‘jail’ for breaking camp rules. Later in the evening we played some outdoor games, before listening to a number of eye-opening speakers, who shared personal stories regarding their experiences and also challenged the way we view developing countries.

We are so proud of the way the girls embraced the challenges of the evening and made the most of all the opportunities given. We know the girls not only learnt a lot, but would have also made some long lasting memories and friendships, especially between year groups.

Overall the night was a real success, thanks to the enthusiasm of the students, staff and E.G.G committee who got so involved and also helped organise and set up the entire evening. Everyone’s contributions meant we managed to raise just over $5,000 for E.G.G, which is an effort the entire SMC community can be very proud of!

We can’t wait to see more girls getting involved with initiatives like this in the future!

Jem and Mia

PS Special thanks to New World Ilam and MG Marketing for their support in providing breakfast for everyone!