More than a rainbow: why I volunteer for Ripple Effect

By Dr Rachel Lyons, Ripple Effect Ambassador 

As a child of the 70s and 80s, there wasn’t endless media to scroll through, but something about Africa always captured my imagination – the landscapes, the people, the music, the culture, the animals. And I always used to rush to choose the Kenya milk cartons in infant school! When I reached medical school, I jumped at the chance to do an overseas elective. A rummage through old reports in the medical school office led me to Kilifi, a coastal town in Kenya where malaria research was being carried out by global teams. It sounded fascinating - and important. 

I spent the second half of my Elective in Zambia at a mission hospital. Two very different experiences, both deeply formative. I had arrived thinking I might offer something useful clinically, but what I actually did was listen, learn, and witness the deep, daily courage of local medical teams and families. And something I wasn’t expecting! 

At Kilifi, I found myself in the library reading a World Health Organisation paper on managing childhood malnutrition. One section jumped out: “The austerity of a traditional hospital has no place in the treatment of malnourished children. Rooms should be brightly coloured, with decorations that interest children…The atmosphere in the ward should be relaxed, cheerful and welcoming.” 

I pictured Ward One. The ward was clean but stark, and children shared beds, their parents sleeping next to them or on the floor beside them. Could we brighten the space? 

I asked, and the hospital said yes. With permission from Dr Peshu, I painted the entrance area sky blue and sponged fluffy white clouds. The rainbow came next, the central section sawn out of plywood by me and fitted in place high in the air by Katisho, the hospital handyman, and Mr. Chome the ward Phlebotimist. Then came the butterflies! The local folk would point at me as I walked through the town saying, “It’s the Butterfly Girl!”. 

One day, a little girl walked in through the doors of the ward wearing a frilly pink dress. She and her parents all looked terrified. Her father later thanked me warmly, telling me how she relaxed and smiled the moment she saw the rainbow. 

That moment stayed with me. Because a wall can't cure malaria—but it can make healing easier. 

When I returned to the UK and began working, the memory of those children in the Malnutrition bay stuck with me. We slowly nourished them back to health, often over a period of weeks - but then they returned home to the same situation that caused them to get sick in the first place. Nothing had changed long-term. That realisation hit hard. 

I took 2 weeks’ annual leave a few months into my first medical job and went back to finish painting. 1 foyer, 3 side rooms, a treatment room, 4 ward bays, all the corridor doors and the Paediatric Intensive Care ward. Mr. Men, flowers, goats, a giraffe, chickens, an aeroplane, Dhow boats, children playing. And lots more! The staff gave me a cutting from the hospital newsletter with an editorial written after my first visit: “Rachel is a young doctor who realises that there is more to hospitals than just needles. She has literally transformed the two cold bunker-like structures into some beautifully painted children’s wards. Even the staff agree that it now feels better working in these wards. Thank you Rachel for your money, time and skills; a butterfly a day keeps a doctor away!”  

A few weeks later, at Christmas 1999, I saw an appeal page in the Telegraph listing five charities. I can remember it was in the bottom-left corner: “Send a Cow.” It immediately made sense. A charity that helps people grow their own food, pass on animals and knowledge, and become self-reliant. A ripple effect. That was the kind of change that lasts and exactly what those families in the malnutrition bay needed in their communities. I could see that my money would really make a difference, and the effect would continue to grow over time.  

I immediately set up a regular donation. I avidly read every update they sent me and started buying gifts for friends and family from the catalogue - goats, training, tools. Simple things that can make a big difference in transforming lives. 

I remembered seeing something in Send a Cow literature about becoming an Ambassador. The application had a tiny box asking, “Why do you want to do this?” I wrote two pages, front and back, stapled them on, and hoped for the best. Thankfully, I was accepted and trained up. 

That was 2005. I’ve been part of the Ripple Effect family ever since. 

Before giving a talk, I used to rewatch Ripple Effect videos to get me focussed and inspired. But visiting Rwanda in 2006 changed everything. Suddenly, I wasn’t just quoting from brochures - I’d been there. I’d drunk tea with farmers. I’d laughed with their families. I’d walked through their gardens, heard their stories, and felt their pride. 

I couldn’t help feeling that everything I had read and heard sounded too good to be true. I wanted to see the truth and the find out the nitty gritty. But it was even better in real life! Yes, there were challenges. In Rwanda, all the chickens placed in one project had died because of Newcastle Disease. But the farmers weren’t floundering. They were thriving because of what they’d learned: composting, water conservation, organic gardening.

It’s simple: I believe in it. 

I’ve watched Ripple Effect evolve over two decades - growing wiser, more collaborative, more focused on sustainability and cultural sensitivity. The projects are led by people from within the communities. This isn’t about imposing solutions; it’s about nurturing potential that already exists. 

So many times, over the years I have found myself noticing the world starting to talk about something: carbon capture, climate change, regenerative farming, tree planting, water conservation, composting and the importance of good soil. And I’ve thought “But Ripple Effect have been saying and doing that for years!”. They have always struck me as ahead of the curve and they really get to know the communities and areas they are working in, ensuring that the projects are just right for each community they work with.  

And I’ve never once felt pressured to do more than I could. There are no hard targets, no guilt. Just gentle encouragement, flexibility, and shared belief in the mission. 

Every hour I’ve given has felt worth it. Every cake baked, every school assembly, every talk. All of it matters. 

If you’re thinking about volunteering with Ripple Effect - just do it. Whether you have an hour a month or time every week, there’s a role for you. 

This charity is warm, wise, and deeply effective. You’ll meet wonderful people, learn new things, and become part of a movement that creates lasting, tangible change. 

Because that’s what this is. Not just a rainbow on a wall, but a ripple of transformation - spreading from one family, one field, one small act of kindness at a time. 

So…if you’ve read this far I’m sure you can imagine I was overjoyed when I learned that Ripple Effect was launching the Sustainable Futures for Kenya’s Women and Youth project in the Kilifi area, 25 years after I first went there. The children on the ward, now hopefully parents themselves, would get help to lift their families and their communities from poverty. My Kilifi circle felt complete!  

If Rachel’s story has inspired you, we’d love to welcome you to the Ripple Effect family. 

Whether you want to fundraise, give talks, or just start with sharing our story in your community, there’s a place for you here. 

Visit rippleeffect.org/get-involved to learn how you can be part of a lasting change. 

Together, we’re not just helping people survive. We’re helping them thrive - with dignity, resilience, and joy.