Just after our departure from the school, within the first two hours, serendipity struck in the form of a flat tire. It was the perfect start to the trip, as it’s often the mishaps in travel that make journeys so rewarding and memorable. It also gave the students an opportunity to experience real-world problem-solving. Tire fixed, we made our way to our basic accommodation within the park, with dorm-style sleeping quarters, a full kitchen to prepare food and an outdoor learning center, perfect for each day’s lesson plans that were prepared by the teachers.
For five full days our days consisted of game drives within the park where we spotted more than 40 species of African wildlife, including ALL of the big five – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros. We even had elephants roaming through our camp every morning and evening! We took a boat ride on the Nile River, coming within 30 feet of massive elephants eating riverside greenery, and having our faces sprayed with mist from the roaring Murchison Falls. When we returned to camp before sunset the teachers had prepared lesson plans based on the day’s experiences and learnings.
Throughout the week all of the students pitched in to help cook meals, wash dishes, clean clothes and sweep out their dorms — team-building exercises that all made them feel like they were part of one big family. To keep it fun we had three-legged races and waterfights, and an obstacle course where the kids had to run while balancing pots of water on their heads and jumping over benches.
Learning comes in many forms and people learn in many different ways, and each student had their own experiences.
We encouraged them to DREAM BIG, and that the world is a vast place with many opportunities available, you just have to look for yourself and find what excites you the most, and then go and get it.
