"What
a fantastic time we had!! Ten students and three teachers embarked on a trip of
a lifetime to a small village called Alicedale in South Africa to stay on a Conservation
Academy. Living in tents and being at one with nature only enhanced our experience
- we helped the local community by teaching the local football teams and the local
school teachers first aid skills. Our students spent a lot of time teaching and
demonstrating. We also renovated two very old netball courts for the local girls
to play netball on and even got roped into playing matches!! Everyone loved these
matches - the whole community came to watch!!
We were also privileged enough
to be introduced to a small group of women who had started a very small business
making beaded jewellery to help them survive. We placed a big order with them
to enable us to help support their project.
Aside from the hard work we
were taken on a Wilderness Hike, we slept out under the stars in the Bush, we
did a night hike tracking wild animals at night and learning about the stars (laying
on your back under the milky way, surrounded by students in the dead on night,
discussing constellations is a feeling that is quite hard to explain).
We visited
an Elephant sanctuary, had a day swimming in the Indian Ocean and visiting Port
Albert, and to cap it all off we went on a Safari - and were fortunate to see
many animals in their natural habitat (herd of elephant, lions and cubs, giraffe,
wart hog, rhino) and we also visited 'Born Free' - a sanctuary for rescued 'circus'
lions.
We were only in South Africa for two weeks but we did not leave
a minute spare -evenings were crammed with Briers (BBQ's), games, open fires,
'best dresses for the bush' competitions and time to reflect.
The students
worked effortlessly and were amazing, there was no moaning about lack of hairdryers
or the 'open toilet facilities' - they just got on with it and appeared to enjoy
every minute of it.
We headed back two week later, exhausted yet refreshed,
tired but alive. We had made friends in a Country that has much less opportunities
than us but has made all question our use of own opportunites. A long journey
back and tears when we arrived at College showed that we had all experienced something
that is so hard to explain. We had had a 'trip of a lifetime' - one that will
stay with is for a very long time." | 
