TrunkAid, a non-profit making organization, has its roots in Island School as it was founded in 2006 by Andy Statham, the ex- Head of IT, and his wife Jenny.
While visiting Sri Lanka shortly after the Asian tsunami he came across a variety of small, locally run projects which he felt were delivering aid far more effectively than most of the larger aid agencies.
The current team is comprised of Evelyn Phoa, Chloe Ip and Karan Arora, with Tarini Mehrotra and Kinjal Jhaveri leading the committee as co-heads. It gives them the experience of taking responsibility for a real charity and being involved with fund-raising and decision making processes. Because TrunkAid is a registered Hong Kong charity organisation, it gives these sixth-formers an opportunity to interact with the real world and grow from these experiences. The idea of having a student-led committee also inspires others to take the initiative to take part in making a difference in the world.
In the previous years, TrunkAid has successfully raised funds to build a poultry farm in Kenya and a piggery in Uganda aiming to promote self-sufficiency in those areas, through the support of the Island School community. In April 2010, TrunkAid held a charity fashion show- an Island School first - and raised $37,000 in a single night to build a water purification system and a well in Thaton, Thailand.
In April 2011, the charity fashion show- Vivacity- was held again and helped build a center for learning in Uganda for Literacy Aid Uganda, educating the youth of the country. In September 2011, the TrunkAid Committee held a charity week at Island School and through various fundraising activities, raised around $20,000 to support the education of 24 children at the Education for Life Foundation in the Philippines.
Tarini Mehrotra 13W & Kinjal Jhaveri 13F