Ilay is a 16-year-old Turkmen girl born in Gonbad-e Kavus in the Golestan province of Iran and studying science at Farzanegan NODET High School. Her mother taught her about the problems Mother Nature faces and she began observing changes in her surroundings: no snowy winters, hotter summers, dry lakes in which she used to play, and water shortages. These obvious changes, along with the fact that few people care, led her to dedicate time and energy to tackle the problems, but she did not know how until Project Green Challenge. When she signed up, she did not expect it to raise her awareness to such an extent that she now feels like she knew nothing about the environment before participating in PGC. November 1st Ilay is much more knowledgeable, aspiring, motivated, and conscious than October 1st Ilay, as the knowledge she gained regarding nature in that single month exceeds all others in her entire life. Moreover, she knows that majoring in Environmental Sciences would be a great choice to fulfill her soul.
“I always knew that when I grew up, I would create big positive change in this world, to give it back to the universe, but PGC made me find out that I do not need to reach a certain age to be able to make change! I found the power of one.”
Five words to describe the PGC experience:
Surprised, Educated, Persevered, Connected, Supported
