Swimming and the projects: Day two and three.....

Day 2 Sunday 16^th July 

After a much needed good night sleep and a well planned later breakfast, students were in good spirits ready to fully prepare for the projects. After breakfast students worked in their groups to unpack all the donations and split between the groups. Students worked so well together it was the first time the students embraced their groups and their roles in the trip so staff were really chuffed to see so many work so hard to prepare for the first day of the projects tomorrow. After lunch we headed to a local hotels swimming pool and just s we arrived the cloudless sky was replaced with a few rain clouds to add to the outdoor swimming experience. All students embraced the change of weather after a few hours of swimming students enjoyed a few 5* hotel snacks before heading back to the hotel to get an early night before the early start tomorrow. The mood around the hotel is a mixture between excitement, anxiousness and eagerness to get going. 

Day 3 Monday 17^th July

Staff Version of events…..

Early start for the students and staff today. Pancakes and syrup brightened even the sleepiest of students. The three groups headed to their projects and they were all welcomed with song and dance performances. The students all had tours of their new homes for the next few weeks and the started to get cracking with their roles. Students were uber excited and overwhelmed by the love and welcoming attitude of the teachers and students. Students when given the first opportunity to get stuck in with digging, cooking or teaching ALL threw themselves in with hesitation and have already created bonds with the students and staff. After an emotional day students picked up some goods from the supermarket at the mall and returned for a well deserved and much needed shower before dinner. Chicken and chips for dinner again was a welcomed meal by the students and post dinner plans saw reflections from day one and plans made for day two. The groups today were sensational really respectful and embracing of the local culture and the scales of poverty witnessed. Most students have retired really early for bed (apparently teaching is very tiring work….. :D) some are playing a few card games before the head to bed ready for day two!

The Walk Centre Group 

Emotions were high… taking the short trip for the first time to the walk centre, we were very excited/nervous. Driving up the hill, we witnessed the slums, where most of the children from the school live. As we arrived, the gates opened and around 240 children were waiting for us with massive smiles, as they formed a walkway for us while singing welcome songs. Upon our welcoming arrival, the children shook our hands while introducing themselves, as did we; the head teacher took us into the office to introduce herself and the school. We then went on to teach the happiest children we’ve ever met. The fun they were having, considering how little they own, was truly heart-warming and definitely a humbling and rewarding experience which we won’t forget.

Ronaken Group

Even within the first few minutes at the school was the most humbling experience we’ve had. The children began singing about how us being there was such a blessing and how they needed us; it’s safe to say that all our hearts broke when we heard that. No one expected how happy everyone would be to have us there, from the teachers to the students and even the cooks. All the young children latched on to us with the largest smiles we had ever seen and it was near impossible not to smile back just as much. When entering any classroom, the students started singing to us and welcoming us to their class. They were all extremely prepared to learn absolutely anything in any way possible. We cannot wait to go back and make even more of a difference and see those beaming smiles once again…

Jubilee Group

The first day at the Jubilee School was an eye opener for all of us. We got greeted by the children as soon as we arrived as they surrounded the bus whilst singing a special Jubilee greeting song. We then got taken to a room in which we could keep our belonging in whilst the children all got ready for their whole school assembly in which they collaborated another welcoming song and dance. For the rest of the day we helped in multiple different classrooms which varied in ages and spent the day being overwhelmed by the politeness and kindness of the children. After lessons we then spent loads of time with them outside watching their different games and also enjoying their reaction to the snapchat filters on our phone.