Courtney Tilby is a girlie girl who likes netball and wants to be a fashion designer. But the Tauranga Girls' College pupil will swap her sewing machine for a paintbrush and hammer in September when she travels to Mexico on a three-week house building mission. Courtney will travel with her mum KerriTilby and step-sister Olivia Scott-Price on a trip with Break Free Expeditions. "Mum went last year and she wanted to take me and Olivia this year," Courtney said. The trio will be part of a team of New Zealanders who will build houses in the slums of Tijuana. They have raised about $10,000 for the trip. Courtney, 13, is excited but slightly nervous about the mission. At 13, she's only ever been to Australia and Fiji. And she's not had any experience at building but hopes she'll be handy with a paintbrush. Courtney and Olivia, who lives in Whakatane, will be part of a group of six teens working on the project. Courtney is most looking forward to visiting Mexican schools and orphanages and meeting the children. Any extra money raised will go towards school supplies. The trio has been working hard for almost a year to raise money for the trip. They've had a quiz night, a second-hand clothing sale and a movie night. And now they're auctioning off two months' rental of a shipping container on Trade Me. Use of the container, which can be used to store tools and materials on a building site, was donated by NZL. Ms Tilby said the experience would be just as beneficial for the girls as the Mexican families they help. "Both the girls are good kids and appreciate what they have got but I think they will come back really appreciating what they have got. "You hear stories, but until you actually see it and smell it, you have really got no idea. "I figure if you are going to go on holiday, you might as well make a difference. "I think the kids will come away with a new perspective of the world and how lucky they are." Courtney already volunteers her time as a netball coach and has grown up wanting to help others. "It hasn't been a conscious thing but my partner and I have always been really involved in the community and it's something they watch," Ms Tilby said.
