St Andrews International School Bangkok students reflect on Tanzania expedition

St Andrews International School Bangkok students reflect on Tanzania expedition The Tanzania Citizenship Expedition is a life changing experience and an opportunity for St. Andrews students to make a lasting impact on the local communities in Arusha, Tanzania. Upon returning from this highly rewarding programme of community service and educational experiences, our students were asked to reflect on their expedition.

The Tanzania Citizenship Expedition is a life changing experience and an opportunity for St. Andrews students to make a lasting impact on the local communities in Arusha, Tanzania. Upon returning from this highly rewarding programme of community service and educational experiences, our students were asked to reflect on their expedition.

Rit, Year 10:

I can honestly say that Tanzania is the best school trip that I have ever been on. It was both an emotional and exhausting eight days for all of us but it was worth it. Seeing the impact that we can have upon a community was truly a touching experience for us.

We joined forces with other Nord Anglia schools, both in Asia and Europe, to work on a community service project, spending two days working on the teachers’ accommodation and classrooms at Nazareti Primary School as well as two days working on building goat sheds and installing solar lights for families in need. This was hard and very labour intensive work as we had to mix cement by hand, plaster the walls and so on; for many of us this was our very first time even attempting these tasks. But throughout the day we would see children from Nazareti school walk by and that served as inspiration for us to carry on with our work until we eventually finished the foundations as well as plastering most of the walls inside the classrooms.

Although we were not able to completely finish the classrooms for Nazareti, we were able to completely finish the goat sheds as well as installing the solar lights and smokeless stoves for the local people in the area. My group worked for a man named Mongu who is 18 years old but lives alone because his both his parents have just died. He was in a desperate situation and so us coming in to help really impacted his life for years to come. After installing the solar panel system, we added light bulbs inside his house and that was the first time that he had ever had light inside his house. We take such simple things, like lights, for granted yet these people have never had light in the house before. Seeing the way he reacted will stick with me for the rest of my life. I am so proud of my fellow STA students for creating such a positive impact on the Tanzanian community.

Tanzania was an experience that you only receive once in a lifetime. To go with your friends, do a good deed and at the same time make a lot of new friends and have a lot of fun. This experience was truly amazing and I wouldn't change a thing about it. The people there were great and we had a lot of respect for them. The friends I had made, the good times I had, the bonds we grew. It was truly amazing. Students who get the chance to go there, should take it. Trust me you won't regret it.

 

Taiyo, Year 10

The Tanzania expedition was a phenomenal experience; finding animals in the national park, visiting the local people and meeting new friends from around the world. I believe that everyone felt the same as I do; being happy and sad after seeing the kids and the local people from Tanzania because they barely have clothes and shoes to wear or good hygiene or shelter to live in but they're still happy with what they have. The smiles on their faces made the trip 100 times better. At the end of the trip, I believe that everyone who took part of this trip will feel overwhelmed and sad at the same time, because you, and your friends, have done something to improve their lives, giving the kids a better education for their better future, but also saying goodbye to your new friends, the staff and the people over there.

 

Yei, Year 12

From a personal standpoint, I think that we have all grown leaps and bounds from this trip. Seeing the school children and the families, meeting other passionate and globally engaged people from the Nord Anglia community as well as having a great time in general has made this a really unique experience. If anyone were to ask me whether or not they should go to Tanzania, then my answer would be a loud and proud “Yes”. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience.

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We would like to thank our generous sponsors for their support of the The Tanzania Citizenship Expedition 2017.

Awot Global Logistics - Thailand Co.,Ltd
http://www.awotglobal.com/

Jagtar
http://jagtar.com/

Yaxa Mosquito Net
http://www.yaxamosquito.net/

Your support has meant a world of difference to our students and to the local communities in Arusha, Tanzania.