Tanzania trip to support Seeway project

The students all congregated at school at 11.30pm on Monday, 30^th January, we boarded our coaches to make our journey to Dubai – the first leg of our long journey to Tanzania! From Dubai, we flew to Ethiopia – the students were excellent and enjoyed the flight, most sleeping but some watching films to pass away the 5-hour flight. We then landed in Ethiopia and from there we flew onto Kilimanjaro, and this is where our epic adventure began!

On arrival at the Shamba Kipara, we were all blown away at the stunning luxury of the camp with its outdoor pool, comfortable communal areas, lush green landscaped gardens all of which is all overlooked by the beauty of the mighty Mount Meru. The students sat for their welcome meeting from the incredible Seeway staff and then they had some rest time to enjoy their new surroundings before they embarked on the week’s activities.

The students were divided into three groups for the week – each with their own Seeway leader and selection of BIS Abu Dhabi teachers. These were the groups they would be in for the week’s activities but would rejoin as a collective once again to recount their experiences of the day’s events, swap stories and share advice.

Throughout the course of the week, the students worked for two full days on site building a school with the local ‘Fundis’ (builders). They carried heavy breezeblocks, mixed cement, skillfully laid bricks to build walls, shoveled mounds of dirt to create a flat foundation on which to build and they even designed and planted a garden with vegetable on the school site. When we tell you that these students worked – we mean – they worked! Everyone was totally exhausted by the end of each of these days but there was also a huge sense of achievement that we were helping to build something extremely special for the local community. All the materials for this project are bought from the money Nord Anglia Schools raise – this is a joint mission. This project is run by the most amazing women – Rebecca and Wendy – absolute powerhouses who travelled to the area on holiday sixteen years ago, saw that there was a huge need and have worked there tirelessly since to build a school, create a children’s home for vulnerable children and build and establish a school for children with disabilities – two totally awesome ladies. We had the pleasure of having lunch on both days at the children’s home and got to visit the school they had built for the local disabled children; it was a truly magical and humbling experience for both students and staff. Each group of our students saw the progress they were making in helping to build the school and we all felt huge gratitude for being a part of it. Some of us even felt we could go away and build our own houses after learning some new skills!

Another adventure was our Dolly Bush camping trip. On this day, we visited a local coffee producer – Kahawa – and learnt how they grew and produced their delicious fair trade organic coffee. We even got to try some! The students were shocked at how climate change was impacting the rates of growth of the coffee beans, and this made us all think about our part in global climate change seeing the effects of it first-hand. Then, onto Dolly Bush where we saw some zebras and buffalo out in the wild! The students set up their own tents and then were tasked with following a recipe to make chickpea curry, dhal and chapati from scratch - very delicious it was too! After the washing up, we all got an early night ready for the next day’s challenge – building goat sheds for families in need in the local communities.

The day of the goat sheds was possibly the favourite amongst all of the students – ironically – it was also one of the most physically challenging aside from the work on the building site. The students were dropped off to their family and were given the raw materials from which to build a goat shed. Measuring, sawing, hammering, and the following of printed instructions were done with such enthusiasm from our students - this was such a proud moment – one of many proud moments. Some of the students built the goat shed, some were tasked with fitting USB ports to provide light and electricity into the homes, some were tasked with building a smokeless stove out of cow manure, sand, and water. By the end of the day, each family had a new goat shed, complete with a goat which we donated, working lights and a USB port and a stove in which to cook without the risk of harmful smoke. Being so close to these wonderful families and seeing how happy we had made them was a moment no student or staff member will forget. We all quietly reflected on the things we take for granted in our everyday lives and how these people seemed so happy with their lot and so grateful to us for our small token of help and resources. The students were incredible and so satisfied after this day – albeit exhausted of course!

The safari part of our tour took us to the Tarangire National Park to witness the majesty of all of the incredible animals in their own natural habitat. We learnt about the Mien people who live out there as well as the fascinating secret lives of the animals. We saw zebra, lions, warthogs, incredible bird species, elephants, giraffes, monkeys, and impala to name but a few! The students were eagerly on lookout with their binoculars at the ready and our guides Johnston and Livingston were amazing with the students and so knowledgeable about the savannah and the animals that lived there. Then, we slept on the safari reserve for the night – in a tent - in the wild – what an absolutely incredible and unforgettable experience. Up before sunrise the next morning to catch the animals in this stunning vista. We didn’t want to leave but leave we must and, on our journey back to main camp, we visited a local artists market where the students’ bought mementos and gifts. We then travelled to Shanga – a glass jewelry making workshop which employs people with disabilities to create unique handmade jewelry, glassware and homewares incorporating recycled materials. Students again enjoyed buying gifts to remind them of their epic travels.

And so that was our trip to Tanzania! So much to say in such a small article – we could write a book about everything we saw, everything we did, everything we learnt and everyone we met. This will be an adventure that our students will never forget. They will be telling stories about their school trip to Africa for years to come – of that, we are sure. They made us proud, they worked hard, they absorbed everything that was in front of them. It was an honor for the staff to have been part of this with them.

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