During the summer holidays, 13 students from Upper Five (Year 11) to Upper Sixth (Year 13) embarked on the bi-annual overseas expedition to Tanzania. Spending three weeks in East Africa, the girls experienced all that this fascinating country had to offer and arrived back with wonderful memories of their time there. From the vibrant Maasai lands of northern Tanzania to the spectacular rugged terrain of Mount Meru, the school expedition offered a combination of trekking, project work, an abundance of wildlife and more African culture than you could possibly wish for.
A definite highlight of the trip, in addition to summiting all 4,562m of Mount Meru as well as a fantastic safari, was the six day Community Project based around Isotoik camp. Working with local Masai tribes, the girls’ job was to build mud huts around long drop toilets with the aim of improving sanitation for the local communities. They all embraced the role and became very adept at using cow-manure and mud to construct the huts.
“We were made to feel so welcome by the tribes, particularly the children and the Masai Mamas who came to work alongside us and we were even invited into their homes which was a huge privilege. Our community project finished with traditional Masai dancing and a goat sacrifice. It was a fantastic experience with a real feel-good factor,” said travelling Head of Geography, Miss Williamson.
