Stories of Triple WellBeing

Lucy Oliff: Triple WellBeing in Kilifi, Kenya

When Lucy co-founded Kivukoni School in Kilifi, Kenya, she wanted to build a place where childhood could be celebrated, where learning felt alive, connected and full of wonder. What began as a small community initiative has since grown into a thriving school that has transformed local education, offering children the freedom to explore the world with curiosity and confidence. Rooted in the belief that children learn best when they feel happy and engaged, Lucy has created an environment where shoes are optional, trees are classrooms and learning unfolds as part of the living world. Diversity and community are woven into every part of the school, from the multi-level fee structure that ensures inclusion, to the open gates that welcome parents, neighbours and local partners as part of the learning journey. Through the Triple WellBeing Fellowship, Lucy turned her focus inward, exploring how wellbeing can take root not only in students but also in teachers. Her action research introduced flexi-time at Kivukoni: giving every team member a half day each week to rest, reflect or take care of life’s essentials. The result has been transformative, greater energy, presence and joy across the community. For Lucy, wellbeing begins with trust in ourselves, in one another and in the rhythm of life. Her work is a living example of how education can nurture balance: between structure and freedom, between head and heart and between the human and the natural world. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Ben Mali Macfadyen: Triple WellBeing in and out of the classroom

Ben has always tried to make sense of the world through his relationships with the people around him. As a young activist, he threw himself into climate and social justice campaigns, driven by urgency but also carrying the weight of the world. The intensity nearly burned him out. Teaching became the place where he could channel that energy differently through children, stories and the small daily practices of belonging. In the classroom, Ben discovered that the most powerful learning doesn’t come from what’s written in a lesson plan, but from what emerges when imagination is given space. He remembers building a cardboard time machine with his pupils. By the next day it had transformed into a rocket ship, a castle, a den. For Ben, this was learning at its best: when play is trusted to lead the way, and children surprise even themselves with their creativity. He worries about the arts and creativity being squeezed out of schools, treated as extras rather than essentials. For him, they are what keep us human. “Play,” he says, “is not a luxury but a foundation.” What matters most is not content delivery, but the conditions for joy, connection and independence to flourish. The Fellowship came at a time when Ben was close to questioning whether he could stay in education. He describes it as “a circle of digital hands to hold” a community that reminded him he wasn’t alone. Through its structure and support, he found permission to pause, to reflect and to bring new practices into his classroom: from active listening to creative inquiry, instilling wellbeing into the everyday life. Ben dreams of schools where the urgency to care for the planet is matched by the joy of belonging within it. Places where children grow up not only knowing facts, but knowing themselves and feeling part of a bigger story. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Rebecca Gillman: Triple WellBeing in Dakar, Senegal

Rebecca has spent over twenty years working in international education, connecting learners across cultures to the world around them. Now based at the International School of Dakar in Senegal, she leads community engagement and service learning, helping students turn awareness into action and curiosity into compassion. For Rebecca, education has always been a social endeavour, one rooted in belonging and relationship. Describing herself as a “living bridge,” she brings people together across difference to learn, collaborate and grow. Whether designing projects with local schools or mentoring students through creative service, she works to dismantle the barriers between “school” and “community,” nurturing a culture of reciprocity and care. The Triple WellBeing Fellowship offered Rebecca time to pause and reflect, to bring her values of connection, critical thinking and community into sharper focus. She used the framework to deepen her students’ understanding of service and wellbeing, helping them move beyond the idea of “helping” to one of genuine partnership. Her action research explored how self-care, people-care, and earth-care can guide cross-cultural collaboration, ensuring learning uplifts everyone involved. With humility and humour, Rebecca reminds us that education’s purpose is not perfection but participation. It’s in the messy, relational spaces where we question, listen and co-create that the deepest learning happens. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Mevlude Sahillioglu: Triple WellBeing in Turkey

“We can only breathe out what we have breathed in, caring for ourselves helps us care for our children.” ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Whitney Nakanjako: Triple WellBeing in Rural Uganda

Whitney’s story is one of determination and deep compassion. Growing up and then working in Uganda, she saw first-hand how poverty, inequality and limited access to education could hold back entire communities. That experience shaped her purpose: to create opportunities for others, especially girls, to thrive through education and self-belief. A trained social worker, Whitney has worked across mental health, community development and education, helping children in some of Uganda’s most underserved areas return to school and rediscover their confidence. Through the Triple WellBeing Fellowship, Whitney turned her focus toward one of the most pressing barriers facing girls in education: period poverty. Her action research explored how menstrual stigma and lack of access to sanitary products prevent girls from attending school and how open conversation, creativity and community solutions can change that. She introduced workshops that taught girls to make reusable sanitary pads, blending practical learning with empowerment, health awareness and environmental care. Now pursuing a master’s in International Development and Economics at the University of San Francisco, Whitney continues to champion reproductive health education and sustainable change. Her voice carries a clear message: lasting transformation begins when we listen, include and uplift one another. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.