From September 11th to 15th, the International School of Luxembourg (ISL) is collaborating with the European Leukodystrophy Association (ELA) for a charitable event that transforms steps into support for those affected by leukodystrophies.
Leukodystrophies are a group of rare genetic disorders affecting the central nervous system, and ELA is dedicated to funding research, raising awareness, and supporting individuals and families affected by these conditions.
ISL high school students are now competing to see which grade can take the most steps in a week. For every 2,000 steps recorded, one euro will be donated to ELA.
Victor Henz embarked on this project, first initiated for his International Baccalaureate (I.B.) programme act-of-service requirement, after learning that a favourite football player, Zinédine Zidane, was an official patron of ELA.
He describes the persistent stream of “no” that accompanied his quest to find a sponsor - before Auchan finally came through with a “yes” - as his greatest challenge when starting the project. Obtaining permission and navigating strict rules regarding phones at ISL presented another hurdle to overcome
Victor’s current primary challenge involves convincing other students and people to download the app essential for the project’s success. What kind of advice would he give to anyone looking bring a similar project off the ground? “Be patient, hope for the best, try your hardest to connect with people - it’s worth it to do these kinds of projects. It is really gratifying.”
If you want to get involved to help Victor’s project and support fundraising for ELA, you can visit their website or download the ‘Met Tes Baskets’ app. The ISL project can be found under activity code 20979.
