The Eden Team
Alysha Lai
Founder
Hey! I’m Alysha, a 16 year old student and sustainability activist from Hong Kong and studying in the United States. I created Project Eden as a platform for youth to share our passion for environmental sustainability, while creating solutions for current environmental issues. I enjoy finding beauty in nature and preserving the beauty of our natural world. The youth are the future, and we must work together to preserve the present. I use my love for and all arts, from performing art to visual arts, to visually express solutions and raise awareness about our dying world. One of my passions is visual arts and fashion, and I share my ideas for sustainability in the fashion industry in the Eden shop. I believe that sustainability can be implemented into anyone’s life.
Libby Vaughan
Mentor
About: Libby Vaughan is an Australian citizen who has been living in Asia for 18 years, originally based in Singapore and now Hong Kong. Libby’s business background is in Sales Management and Marketing. Libby has over sixteen year’s experience in the IT resourcing and workforce management industry, spanning both the private and public sector. During this period she was Business Development Director of Manpower IT in the UK and Managing Director of CTG, one of the UK’s largest IT resourcing and managed solutions companies. Since moving to Asia, Libby has worked as a freelance consultant with various small to medium sized enterprises as well as multinational corporations, developing their sales, marketing and business strategies. She also volunteers at various Non Profits advising on fundraising strategy and volunteer engagement. Libby was a Board Director and established the Cambodian Children’s Fund Hong Kong chapter in 2010, and is currently a Board Director of Kids4Kids HK. In 2017 Libby joined Social Career as Business Development Director, she manages corporate and school relationships as well as Social Career’s business strategy beyond Hong Kong.
Melle Hsing
Hi I’m Melle! I’m a 16-year old student at the Chinese International School in Hong Kong. I like a fun and experimental life, so I enjoy doing a mix of activities in my own time: cooking, growing herbs, playing volleyball, learning piano songs, listening to podcasts, and just thinking. I really believe that environmental sustainability is the foundation to strike a reciprocal balance between nature and society, which not only benefits the environment but also improves the quality of life for every individual on Earth. I find it absolutely beautiful when people pause, look around, and take a moment to appreciate the world they live in. Environmental sustainability is quite experimental too in my own opinion, as people can find many ways to implement it in their own lifestyles which makes it all the more fun to explore.
Alicia Shen
Hi, I’m Alicia! I’m a 16-year-old Year 11 student at the Chinese International School in Hong Kong. I enjoy artistic and creative pursuits in life, such as singing, acting, reading, writing, and drawing. I think part of what makes environmental sustainability so intriguing to me is that everyone can make a change, even if it is a small one. All it takes is mindfulness, awareness of your actions, and the willpower to put in extra effort to start living a more sustainable lifestyle! Another incredible thing about the movement for sustainability is that no matter where you are, there is a local community of change makers who share that same passion and are making a change in their own unique way! Our environment holds so much beauty in it, and it is up to us to put in the effort to protect it.
Gaile Ng
Hi I’m Gaile, I am a 15 year old studying in Hong Kong. From a young-age, I have always had a fascination with nature and the beautiful environment around us. I grew up camping on school trips, kayaking in the Canadian wilderness during summer and surfing in Pui O. This constant exposure naturally built a passion for sustainability within me, which led me to jump straight into various forms of environmental activism as I entered high school. From writing articles, attending beach clean ups and organising sustainability projects at school, environmental activism has become second nature to me. However, I also adore capturing our extraordinary planet on camera and on the canvas. I love spending my free time exploring our great wilderness with friends and capturing it all on my film camera!
Alexandria Pu
Hello! I’m Alex, and I’m a 16 year old student at Sevenoaks School in the UK. I love both listening to and playing music, art (in any shape or form), reading, and eating; I really enjoy academia-related things. We need to change the fact that Mother Earth is exploited and her resources taken for granted. In a way, living our lives without giving any thought to the environmental impacts of our actions is an incredibly selfish act. Our relationship with the Earth isn’t a one way street; we have to nurture and give back just as much as it nurtures and gives us. We have the ability and the resources to make genuine and long-term changes, not just for the benefit of the Earth, but also for the benefit of those who are unable to control their livelihoods. That is another reason why I am so deeply passionate about the sustainability of our world: it is a fundamental human right for every single person to live a life free of anthropogenic natural disaster. And it is our job to ensure that it stops, through promoting and raising awareness for environmental selflessness.
Josephine Yip
Hi! I’m Josephine, a bilingual 15-year-old student at Chinese International School in Hong Kong. I enjoy a life of creativity and expression through my interests in writing, classical music, reading and language. My passion for environmental sustainability started from reading articles to educate myself on the world, and this has led to my desire to spread the word about how small and simple changes in our daily lives can reduce the shocking impact we leave on our environment. I believe green living not only heals our relationship with mother Earth, but our each and every choice also indirectly affects the lives of wild animals and those living in rural poverty. The journey to improving my lifestyle has changed my perception of many things, and I think it could help you discover your caring and compassionate self. Our environment is our future, and we hold it in our hands, so it’s up to us to make a change and push for the better!
Katia Shek
Hi I’m Katia, a 15-year-old studying at Chinese International School. I like living an adventurous and open-minded lifestyle filled with a wide range of hobbies such as singing, dancing, writing, photography, table tennis, debate, baking, and of course, shopping and eating good food. The reason why I have been so drawn to becoming a sustainability activist is that unlike many other social issues, it is a battle that the entire human race must fight and win together. The future belongs to our generation so it is our moral obligation to bring awareness and make great changes to preserve what is left of our planet. This ongoing journey of sustainability has taught me how to be more mindful of my consumption and in a way, the practices I have adopted throughout have also acted as a cleansing of the mind and the body. Therefore, I highly encourage everyone to join the next generation’s fight to restore the beauty of the Earth.
Mirjana Vujovich
Hi, I’m Mirjana. I’m 16 and I study at Chinese International School in Hong Kong. I have a penchant for spontaneity and adventure, and I hope to never cease finding beauty in the world. In my spare time, I love to read, write, and solve puzzles of different forms. I believe that, in a way, seeking sustainability is a puzzle: to make the most of what we are given, to create the best world we can for not only ourselves, but future generations. I try to avoid earnest idealism, but I know there are ways we, as ordinary citizens, can take actions towards leading a more sustainable lifestyle. The far-reaching and detrimental impacts of the current environmental crisis are dangerous, and though these issues can affect everyone, I feel lucky to live a life privileged enough such that I can try to raise awareness for those who suffer more than we do.
Amy Shin
Hey, I’m Amy. I’m a 16-year-old student attending Chinese International School, Hong Kong. Some of my hobbies include reading, writing, and binge-watching kdramas. I’m especially interested in poetry–both the written and spoken word–because it’s something that makes me feel safe and allows me to shape my voice through creative expressions. By using this medium, I tend to enjoy writing any of my wandering thoughts or opinions in regards to a subject matter that I’m passionate about. Recently, I’ve been seeking to understand the current state of the environment and the implications on the planet because of our everyday actions, and have voiced my opinion through writing. All in all, I’m thrilled to be part of Project Eden to ultimately highlight the diversity of the student voice.
Joanne Yau
Hi all! I’m Joanne, a 15 years old student from Hong Kong. Living in the busy city of Hong Kong, I have realised how the fast-paced lifestyle in Hong Kong has contributed to climate change and other environmental issues, from economic development to consumerism. Although it’s impossible for me as a teenager to solve these rooted problems, I hope to arouse the awareness of others with my humble effort as a sustainability activist, through my passion in visual fine arts, writing and public speaking in particular. Alone we can do little, but together we can do so much, together we can change the world.
Jolie Chan
Hey readers! I am Jolie; I am 15 years old and am a student in Hong Kong. I enjoy cooking, music and the little things in life. My passion for environmental issues came from the countless times that I have seen or experienced firsthand the effects of climate change. It made me realise how much of a crisis climate change and how much danger the human race will be in if we don’t do something about it. We need to realise that we are part of nature and nature does not need us- we need nature. We have to stop treating our finite resources as infinite. Through the project eden blog, I hope that I can raise awareness for the devastating consequences of climate change and what little things we can all do to make a big difference.
Katrina Poon
Hi! I’m Katrina. I’m a 16 year old student at the Chinese International School in HK. I like to spend my time writing, reading, cooking, and watching films. I have always loved spending time in nature and around animals, and the environmental problems have always been a concern of mine. One of my most fond memories of my childhood involve joining weekend beach cleanups and creating artwork with the plastic pollution we picked up on the beaches. My interest in environmentalism grew significantly last year, when I started an environmental group called Eco-CIS with a few friends for the CIS Hangzhou community. Whilst our impact was small, it led me to realise that any small impact can lead to larger changes, and that by doing my part in advocating for the environment, and through the Project Eden blog, we can together protect our Earth and lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
Karissa Poon
Hello! I’m Karissa. I’m a 16-year-old student attending Chinese International School in Hong Kong. I like to spend my time creating art, listening to music, reading, baking, and playing sports. Ever since I was young, I have helped devote my time to joining beach clean-ups and producing art made out of plastic bottle caps. Last year, I participated with a service group: The Nature Conservancy, TNC. Most of the service we offered to the Qing Shan village was cutting bamboo, translating documents in their library, and even helping them paint signs. Although we were not able to change their lives to a large extent, we were able to experience and learn that it is the little things that we each need to do to make a difference. As humans are constantly exploiting the planet to accommodate our selfish needs, I believe that it is our responsibility to help give back to Mother Nature. We owe it to her. And that is why I’m inspired to be part of Project Eden. We all need to play a part in this journey and help contribute bit by bit to protect the beauty of our planet.
Carrie Wang
Hello! I’m Carrie, a sixteen year old student from Hong Kong. Some of my favorite things to do include daydreaming, cooking/ baking, gardening, dancing, and creating art. When I learned about the climate crisis as a little kid, I had this mentality that this issue was bigger than me, and that I was too small to make a difference. I told myself to leave this problem to the adults to figure out, or wait till I was an adult myself. But as I’ve grown up, I’ve realized that climate change doesn’t wait, and neither can we. We need to start speaking up and doing. A step towards a better world, is a step in the right direction, no matter how small it may seem. There are so many ways we can implement small changes into our daily lives that can make an impact when they add up. One of my biggest passions is food, so I love learning about the environmental impacts of my food choices. Simple things like going vegetarian have made me become a much more conscious and healthy eater, and also allowed me to try out different recipes and dishes I never would have otherwise. Our world is filled with so much division and hatred now, but if we all come together as one, we can tackle this problem. I believe that we were given this planet to take care of it, just as it provides for us everything that we need. We have the power and the ability to save our beloved planet, and I believe that it is our duty to do so.
Illeana Li
Hi everyone! I’m Illeana, a 16-year old sustainability activist attending school in Hong Kong. I enjoy reading, writing articles, playing sports... and I’m also a huge animal lover. My passions for reading and in keeping up with current affairs has significantly encouraged my participation in advocating for a sustainable lifestyle. This strongly fuels my desire to spread awareness of how changes to our daily habits can greatly benefit our Earth, who has suffered far more than enough. So we all have to stop taking our environment for granted and do our parts to save our planet.