Lylou and Ilona, Two Students Taking Action for ECC and Sri Lanka

Could you introduce yourself in a few words?

We are Lylou Wallart and Ilona Otsmani, two Master’s students at KEDGE Business School. We met four years ago while studying in Montpellier, and since then, we have been keen to work together on different projects.

This shared desire is rooted in values that are important to both of us, such as being open to the world, curiosity, and the desire to get involved in initiatives that have a positive impact.

Passionate about travel and cultural discovery, we have both had the opportunity to experience enriching international adventures. These experiences have strengthened our awareness of social and environmental issues.

What is the goal of your final-year project?

As part of our final-year project, our goal is to design and carry out an impact-driven project, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, combining communication, commitment, and solidarity.

We chose to support ECC, whose humanitarian and solidarity initiatives strongly align with our values. To help raise awareness of the association and its work, we will be taking part in a race to give ECC greater visibility.

You chose to take part in a race. Why did you choose this event?

We felt that this type of event was particularly relevant because it creates a strong connection between solidarity and personal challenge through sport.

A race also brings together a wide audience, making it a great opportunity to raise awareness of the association and its initiatives.

Beyond the race, you have set up several solidarity initiatives. What are they?

Yes, alongside the race, we have launched several solidarity initiatives.

The first is a clothing drive for children aged 0 to 4, which we will give to ECC so that the clothes can be distributed during future humanitarian missions, particularly in Sri Lanka in March 2027 and Tanzania in January 2027.

At the same time, we are reaching out to companies to involve them in the project and generate donations for the association. So far, we have already received support from partners such as AXA Mur Landini and Grand Café Malarte, helping to strengthen the reach and impact of our initiative.

What were the first reactions when you presented the project to companies?

• 

• 

The first reactions from companies were very positive.

During our initial outreach, we quickly noticed genuine interest in the project, driven by ECC’s commitment and the cause it supports.

The companies we met were very receptive to our approach and pleasantly surprised by the involvement of students in an association project of this scale. They also appreciated the initiative and the commitment behind the project, which helped facilitate discussions and secure our first forms of support.

What have you learned so far from carrying out this project?

Through this initiative, we first and foremost hope to have a concrete and meaningful impact for ECC, by helping provide the association with more resources and visibility so that it can develop its projects and support even more children.

We also hope to organize a successful clothing drive and raise awareness among as many people as possible through the race, allowing us to reach a wide audience.

Finally, we hope that our partner companies will continue to promote and support the association over time, helping turn this commitment into something long-lasting.

In your opinion, why is it important for students to get involved in solidarity projects?

For us, it is essential for students to get involved in solidarity projects because they represent the future generations and have an important role to play in continuing initiatives that create a positive impact.

Today, access to information, particularly through social media, makes the realities of the world more visible and makes us more aware of our responsibilities. It therefore seems difficult to remain indifferent to situations of vulnerability when we have the ability to take action, even on a small scale.

Getting involved also helps us develop an open mind, better understand social issues, and gradually contribute to making a difference within the nonprofit sector.

If you had to sum up your journey in three words, what would they be?

Sharing, commitment, impact.

One final message for readers?

We invite you to follow and support our project on our Instagram page, Run for Smiles, where we will share updates throughout the project: the organization of the race, the clothing drive, the progress of our initiatives, interviews, and more.

We also encourage everyone to learn more about ECC’s work and support the association in their own way, whether through a donation, a share, or simply by helping spread the word about its initiatives.

We hope that this project will inspire you and contribute to raising collective awareness around the issues that are so important to us.