For 17 days in July, 24 senior school pupils and four staff members embarked on a memorable trip to Kenya and Tanzania to visit two school projects. We flew to Nairobi and stayed at Magnet School in Ongata Rongai. While there, we engaged with a local primary school and learned about Kenya’s education system, all while staying on the Magnet School compound. The team also visited interesting sites such as the Karen Blixen Museum and house—made famous by Meryl Streep in Out of Africa—as well as the giraffe park and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, where pupils gained insight into wildlife protection and conservation efforts in Kenya.
From there, we travelled to the Masai Mara, where we went on safari and experienced the world-famous African wildlife. Our journey continued to Tanzania, where we camped with a Christian Masai NGO, living in the bush for several days without modern conveniences such as electricity, running water, or toilets. While in Tanzania, we spent time at the MAPED Masai school, learning about their education system and traditional way of life. After this, we concluded our trip with some well-deserved relaxation on the coast, enjoying the beach.
Last year, our School raised over £13,000 for these projects, and we were able to witness firsthand how these funds were put to use. Magnet School installed solar panels to power their borehole and purchased a suite of computers. MAPED used the funds to buy a second-hand car, which has already saved lives by transporting people to hospital, and invested in new books for their curriculum.
The trip was a tremendous success, offering our pupils a once-in-a-lifetime experience of life in East Africa. We look forward to organising another trip in the next two or three years and will continue to support these schools in any way we can. If you are interested in sponsoring a Masai child’s education (around £340 per year), please contact the school chaplain for more information.
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