Derby College return for another trip to Kenya!
What an incredible start to the year we have had here at African Adventures! Derby College kicked off a busy couple of months for us with their trip to Kenya in January. The group of 27 volunteers were based at Mama Kerry School throughout their stay, providing useful teaching and building support, and away from volunteering they were able to spot some of Kenya’s beautiful wildlife on the Maasai Mara Adventure Weekend. From pictures and feedback from the staff and students, it seems that the group had a great time, and they are already talking about their 2020 trip!
Bourne Community College fly to Ghana
So far this year, our volunteers have been split equally across our three host destinations , with two groups each travelling to Ghana, Kenya and Zanzibar. Bourne Community College departed at the start of February and became our first group to travel to Ghana this year. The college returned to Ghana for the first time since February 2017 and they again volunteered at Dedzidi School. We are currently working on the construction of a two-storey block, consisting of eight classrooms, that is set to be completed by the end of the year. Dan, African Adventures’ Founder, also recently travelled to Ghana to check on the progress at Dedzidi, and you can read about his trip here.
Ely College return to Kenya
Ely College were the next group to fly out, returning to Kenya following their last trip in 2017. The college returned to Nakuru, and split their volunteering time between Ungana Academy and Jubilee Academy. The group of 28 also experienced our famous Rift Valley Adventure Day, and of course grabbed a picture by the sign on the Equator! Our in-country team have thoroughly enjoyed having the two groups in Kenya, and they look forward to welcoming the next group of volunteers shortly.
Humberston Academy meet footballing legend
In February, Humberston Academy embarked on their first trip with African Adventures, to Ghana. They began their trip with an impromptu meeting at the airport with former England footballer Rio Ferdinand, who seemed more than happy to grab a quick picture with some of our volunteers! The group were great at providing regular updates and photos during their time away, and the students threw themselves into the challenges of an expedition of this nature. The group volunteered at Aklorbordzi School and Faith International School, located in the rural Volta Region, and visited Cape Coast Castle to learn more about Ghanaian history.
The Earls High explore Tanzania
Our most recent groups travelled to Tanzania and Zanzibar for their volunteering experiences. The Earls High School were met at the airport in Tanzania by our In-Country Kenya Coordinator, Fred Egesa, who made the journey across the border to support the group. The Earls High School have an ongoing relationship with a school in Dodoma and we have been able to support them and organise their trips to Tanzania in recent years.
The school’s Head Teacher, Mr Loveday, kept parents updated with their activities with a fantastic blog that you can read here. The group enjoyed teaching at their partner school in Dodoma, as well as visiting the local markets and heading out on an incredible safari experience. We were also impressed by the school’s Head Boy, Zach, who deserves a special mention for delivering his farewell speech in Swahili – a nice touch to round off what seems to have been a very rewarding trip for Mr Loveday and his pupils.
Stoke Newington School’s maiden voyage
Stoke Newington School were our first group of 2019 to head to Zanzibar. They were met at the airport by Samson Zuberi, our In-Country Coordinator for Zanzibar, and the Head Teacher of one of our partner schools who was keen to meet the first volunteers of the year. The Zanzibar staff provided the UK team with regular updates, and it looks like they had an amazing time on their trip. Stoke Newington’s students volunteered at Fuoni School and Kijito Upele School, providing support with construction work and teaching. It was the school’s first time travelling with us, and we were pleased to hear that they had such a successful trip.
We now have a short break before our next groups head out for what is shaping up to be a packed Easter schedule! In the meantime, the UK staff are touring the country, delivering launch presentations to new groups, and pre-departure talks to those groups that are approaching their travel date. The excitement is also building ahead of our 10-Year Anniversary Dinnerwhich is just under a month away – only a handful of tickets are still available!
Due to popular demand, we have also added more dates to our Friends and Family trips. Our second trip departs for Kenya on Saturday 26th October 2019, returning Sunday 3rd November.
Watch this space for future updates!