Posted: Tuesday 23 September 2008
Out in Africa
We got to experience a completely different culture, and got to meet some amazing people - the people we met out there as well as getting to know all my teammates.
There was no lying around on the beach for a group of staff and fifth-year pupils this summer. Along with staff and pupils from Airdrie Academy, they spent more than a month on a World Challenge expedition in Zambia and Malawi, having already raised funds for their travel costs and to donate to the projects in those countries. According to English teacher Nancy Birch, "Zambia seemed to combine the chance to do a worthwhile project with the opportunity to see wildlife. Malawi is a poorer country, but with well organised charity-run orphanages."
In 2007 pupils at Hutchesons' donated £41,000 to the Child Support Project-Malawi and had four resource centres in Malawi dedicated to them.
"It was exciting and stimulating for pupils and teachers alike", says Colin McCormick, a Technology teacher at Hutchesons'. "Activities included visiting the Victoria Falls and canoeing on the Zambezi and helping with building work at an orphan feeding centre. The pupils coped very well with the enormous responsibility of arranging in-country transport, accommodation and cooking, as well as working to a strict budget that allowed only around £1.50 per person for food."
Pupils helped to build a toilet block near Dedza in Malawi. They also undertook a trek in the Mutinondo Wilderness in Zambia.
We got to experience what life is really like in Africa. I will always remember how friendly everyone was.
According to the pupils, one of the best parts of the trip was travelling to Lilongwe to buy supplies for the feeding centre with the money the team had worked hard to raise. Items purchased included 240 toothbrushes, 240 tubes of toothpaste, 3 45kg bails of blankets, three 45kg bails of jumpers and three footballs! Children in Malawi cannot attend secondary school without shoes so the team was particularly pleased they were able to give the centre 32 pairs of shoes to help more children to complete their education.
We have learnt so much about organisation, teamwork and leadership, from planning ceilidhs and raffles to buying food for twelve people for two weeks, to surviving a month staying in a tiny tent with the same people!
