Tanazania Expedition

The Tanzania Expedition in January was attended by the majority of year 12 students when Nord Anglia give us the opportunity to go to there with other schools in the network from around the world and we were privileged enough to get to know them.

We were separated into groups to get to know the other schools and to begin the projects. One of the projects we were working on involved helping to build two classrooms and teacher accommodations for an underprivileged school. During these two days, we learnt basic construction skills such as; mixing cement, laying bricks laying bricks and using machetes - whilst working in very hot conditions. At first it was a struggle for all the students, as it was not something we were used to so most of us were aching the next day. However, after learning about the impact of what we were doing would have on the children and teachers of that community, it improved our outlook on our work and ultimate goal.

The other part of the expedition was where we were working in small groups helping to build goat sheds and provide goats for individual families. The goat and their accommodation can provide milk to drink and a source of income as they can sell the milk. On top of that, for each family we installed solar lights and smokeless stoves. Through seeing the living conditions of the families and going inside their houses to install the lights, we could see the significant difference that giving them light can do. For example, having light would allow for the children to study and do their schoolwork.

During our evening sessions we learnt about the 17 different Global Goals which were created in September 2015 to help with Sustainable Development and to set standards for all countries. During our time in Tanzania we were working towards achieving the first five goals:

1. The first goal was to end poverty in all its forms everywhere.
2. The next goal was to end hunger and to achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
3. The third goal was to ensure that we are living healthy lives and to promote well-being for people of all ages.
4. The fourth goal was to ensure that everyone receives education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for everyone.
5. The fifth goal was to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

We realised that we can contribute to them in our everyday lives.

We also went on the safari during our time in Tanzania. We had a guide who was extremely knowledgeable and taught us a lot about the different animals. This was really enjoyable as we were able to relax, rest and explore some great parts of the country for a couple of days.

Tanzania was a great experience for all the IB students and it made many of us more confident and self-aware. If you’re in year 11 and will be in IB next year this is a trip you should seriously consider.