In my day-to-day at Excite Media, a lot of my time is spent working with client accounts and administration, but I’m also lucky enough to take on some hands-on project work when it pops up around the office. Whether it’s general maintenance around the place or special projects like building the hanging herb garden in the courtyard, it’s good to get away from the desk and get my hands dirty from time to time. I also play a little ping pong when I get the chance, and it’s always fun beating Sholto. Always.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always liked to help others, especially those who are less fortunate.
- At Excite Media, I spend most of my time on client accounts and admin, but I love jumping into hands-on projects—and, of course, winning at ping pong.
- Traveling to places like Vanuatu and India showed me how little people need to be happy, which really changed my perspective on life.
- In Vanuatu, we built a meeting space, donated a generator, and fundraised for a 3,000-litre water tank to make life a little easier for local families.
- Now, we’re fundraising to bring three Vanuatu teens to Brisbane for a youth camp—covering their flights, visas, and an experience they’ll never forget!
Taking the leap 🌍
We tend to take so much for granted living in a country like Australia, and I quickly came to realise that by helping others, you’re also helping yourself. It brings about a certain contentment that money can’t buy.
Earlier in my career, during my travels to countries like Vanuatu, India, and other parts of Asia and South America, I realised that people can be genuinely happy with so little. Seeing this firsthand gave me some perspective and perhaps even a healthier outlook on life.
So when my church pastor asked me if I wanted to help him out with some locals in Vanuatu after a local had reached out to him, I jumped at the chance.
A place like no other 🇻🇺
Made up of about eighty islands stretching over 1,200 kilometres, Vanuatu is a true tropical paradise with incredible beaches and warm, humble people. We tend to take a lot for granted in Australia, but the people of Vanuatu live happily with so little. They seem to understand that it’s people, not possessions, that make life great and that strong relationships are what truly fulfil us as humans.
Time to get to work 🛠️
The main focus of our trip was to help a small community by building new structures and improving their daily access to water. Our first project was constructing a large timber-framed structure on a rural property to serve as a meeting place for their church group. We also donated a generator and set up the entire space, complete with LED lighting, tables, and bench seating.
To help a small community of about twelve families access clean water, we fundraised in Australia to supply a 3,000-litre water tank for storage. Previously, they had to walk quite a distance down a steep slope to collect water from a spring-fed stream—an exhausting and sometimes dangerous task.
A deeply satisfying experience ✨
While being in Vanuatu was an incredible experience, the trip was also a lot of hard work. But after a few days of getting stuck in and trying to be helpful, it starts to dawn on you how deeply satisfying it is. That feeling of contentment and balance sort of creeps up on you.
What’s next? 👉
As part of our ongoing efforts to support the people of Vanuatu, we’ll be bringing three teenagers to Brisbane for a ten-day youth camp. Through fundraising, we’ll cover their passports, visas, flights, and all expenses while they’re here. They’ll make great new friends, have fun, and hopefully return home feeling inspired to study hard and make good choices.
I’ve already started working on their passports, visas, and airfares. Thankfully, we have a generous church community, so raising the money shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. Stay tuned for the next update!
