Lessons 
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Help educate children in developing countries
Lessons for Life Trustees and Representatives
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Mark O'Dowd
Trustee
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I am a Scotsman who has worked in the IT industry occupying management
roles. For the past 17 years I have worked and lived in a few overseas countries whilst
travelling to many more. In September 2004, I had the great opportunity to take
a short placement to Uganda with VSO. During this time, I gained a first hand appreciation
of the day to day challenges faced by many in a developing country.
I've been motivated to get involved with "Lessons for Life" as I believe that the
majority of people I know want to help people of developing countries but that they
believe it can often be done more effectively by ensuring funding gets to where
it is intended and that we invest in the future, i.e. in educating more people.
With more skills and ability, only they can make a lasting difference.
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Mike Lloyd
Trustee and Treasurer
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I am a Chartered Accountant who has spent many years working and travelling
in many different countries throughout the world. I spent nearly 2 years in Nigeria
and have visited many other African countries including Uganda, Kenya, Senegal,
Zaire (as was), Togo, Ethiopia and Benin. This has given me the chance to see first-hand
the difficulties often faced by communities and individuals and the enthusiasm with
which they will make the most of the opportunities they have.
I have always been connected to the world of education as both my parents were teachers,
and my Mum is the co-author of Jolly Phonics (a popular method for teaching children
to read).
I now live London but continue to travel extensively. I have many happy
memories of seeing children in schools overseas and know that for a relatively small
amount of money, many more children can have that opportunity. This is what makes
me passionate about what Lessons for Life can achieve.
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Umesh Patel
Trustee
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I was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1964 and raised in Rugby, England from a very young
age. I am now working in the City of London as a Development Manager with over 30
years in the IT business. I have had the pleasure and the opportunity of travelling
to many different countries. In more recent years, I have added South Africa, Uganda
and Rwanda to the places I have visited.
It is my family background that has led me to become a trustee of Lessons for Life.
My parents initially moved from India to Africa raising a family of five under difficult
circumstances, partly due to the limited education they had available when they
were young. But through hard work and endeavour, they gave me the opportunity and
the encouragement to succeed. They taught me to work hard at my studies when I was
young and to continue doing so as I was growing up.
To this day, I still uphold these traditional values and it is with these thoughts
that I want to provide others with the same opportunities for education and future
success.
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