Throughout all our education projects globally, the ultimate goal is to improve the overall standards and performance of the students in the schools. That’s not easy but we believe it can be done and we have a lot of successful stories to prove it as long as there is a long term sustainable commitment from us as well as the management and community stakeholders. With the recent launch of the Mantanani Community Learning Centre, we have a lot to shout about.

In Tanzania, we were really really proud to receive the letter below from one of the schools that we have been working with over the past two years. Not only do the students have fairly decent classrooms, adequate toilet facilities thanks to everyone’s hard work but the best part of this is that performance in the school has dramatically improved and in last year’s National Exams, Mwakadilia School came first out of 40 schools in its District!

By Charlotte and Jamie from St. Neot’s and St. Mary’s…

After 10 long hours on the bus, we finally arrived at Tanga which quickly became everyone’s favorite camp; being by the sea, with actual mattresses, a bar and sofas. It was pretty luxurious after a week and a half in the basic camps of Meru and Ndarakwai! For the first 4 days, we ventured into the world of scuba diving, although it was not everyone’s cup of tea! The ones who couldn’t take part or did not enjoy it started constructing a new mud hut for a local mama, being able to meet her and see first-hand the difference we would be making; with her injured leg she was unable to build the hut to replace the one her family were quickly out-growing.

For the scuba divers, we spent the first two days training in the swimming pool of a nearby hotel. We learnt how to use pieces of kit such as the BCD, regulator and the alternate air source which surprisingly didn’t confuse us as much as we first thought. On the third and fourth day we traveled by boat to Jambeni reef to put our training in action, and to see all of the different marine wildlife – including Octopus, a Turtle, a pod of dolphins – and Nemo! Members of the team who didn’t dive were able to snorkel which was also a great way to see the weird and wonderful creatures of the sea.

Prepare yourself – after choosing to spend the morning of our R&R day to continue building the mud hut, we decided to venture to the yacht club where we had scuba dived and have a meal which was recommended by the school before us  – Nice one!  After arriving we were squished into a table like sardines and then we had to go through the painful process of ordering drinks and food which apparently required a billion forms to be filled out. The restaurant waited  for us to fill out these forms before telling us they were out of most of the drinks and had no beef (Woohoo the veggies weren’t bothered). Anyway, after three hours the food had came out in drips and drabs and when we left at 10pm some of us were still hungry! We still had an entertaining night which we definitely wont forget!

The hard work then began, with three days to finish the hut it was hammer time! Half of the group carried the mud from an 8ft deep pit to the hut where the rest of the team were using machetes to cut the wood in half to make the foundations of the house.  The following days were spent squishing the mud into the frame making the walls to the hut. Half way through the second day of work we were taken in the local mamas kitchen where they taught us how to make some traditional African foods which are especially popular during Ramadan.  Back to work for our final day on project we had a target of completing the hut which we can happily say we completed!

Tonight is our last in Tanga and our penultimate night in Tanzania before we fly home to England. Although everyone is excited to go home to their families and comfy beds its definitelys going to be an emotional couple of days after what’s been the most memorable experience of our lives! Lala Salama!

By Charlotte and Jamie

Canon Slade’s time at Camp Tanga has been an incredibly enjoyable experience. On our first day here we spent time in the sea tying seaweed onto lines to grow in the sea, before the local mamas could sell it on to be used all over the world. We had great fun competing between ourselves who could tie the most lines, of course being beaten completely by the mamas!

On day two we dug a hole, gathering dirt to mix with water, to splat onto the walls of one of two new houses being built in the village…50 bags of dirt and a broken record later we started to transport it across the village in just about the wobbliest wheelbarrow we’d ever seen…

Day three involved squelching through the pile of dirt (with our bare feet) that we’d collected and transported, mixing it with water to make the African version of cement before picking up handfuls to be thrown at the walls, though arguably more ended up on ourselves than the walls. In the afternoon we switched jobs to digging small deep holes to lay foundations for the second new house, along with creating the wooden framework of the house.

Our last days project work here involved finishing off the foundations from the previous day, then going to some mamas houses in the afternoon to be shown how to make the local delicacies of chapattis Tanzanian style and “visheti”, a sweet doughnut like biscuit which we enjoyed back at camp afterwards.

Today is a rest day and some people have gone off to enjoy snorkelling whilst some have stayed to sunbathe, have henna tattoos, and buy African clothes made to measure by a local lady. Overall our time here has been a great end to our trip to Tanzania and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Thanks Camps!

We arrived at Camp MitiMirefu at Ndarakwai Wildlife Sanctuary  on Friday 2nd August and were greeted by the friendly staff members who gave us a quick tour of the camp and the area which we would be staying. This place was very different from the other camps we have been staying at, from having a small local community to our neighbors being zebras, baboons and elephants which was both a surreal and an amazing experience for all of us!

Our first day of wildlife conservation consisted of deepening and widening a stream that supplies the wildlife with water. Although this project was hard work and consisted of getting very muddy, it was also rewarding that we were helping the beautiful wildlife surrounding us such as the orphan elephants. We then later finished our work on the stream later within our stay at Ndarakwai. Other project work consisted of removing weeds that affected the living area of the plants that many animals depend on for their main source of food. Although, like the digging of the stream, the weeding under the hot African sun was tiring, but it gave us all time to appreciate the landscape that lies under Kilimanjaro Mountain.

What most of us looked forward to during our stay at Ndarakwai was going to and meeting the Masai and their lifestyle.  We asked questions about their way of living such as diet and marriage revealing that the leader of this Masai village had nine wives, the youngest thirteen and had seventy children in total which was a shock to everyone in the difference to our Western lifestyle! After this we were taken into the Masai huts and learnt how to make jewellery Masai style! When leaving the boma we were lucky enough to see the Masai women perform a few songs to their culture which we then matched with an interesting rendition of the Hokey Cokey!

We have all learnt something about African culture and the wildlife in Tanzania, and cannot wait until we arrive at Camp Tanga.

From the Kingdown, Queensbury, LOGS & King’s School Grantham Tanzania Team Expedition…

Since arriving in Camp Tanga we have completed a range of different community projects.

Some of the poorest families in this region accommodate many people over three or more generations, in minimal space. Our first task was to construct the clay walls of a new two-room house for an elderly woman who lives, cramped, in a small house with seven of her children and grandchildren. One room would become her bedroom and the other a dining and family area. We were keen to get started.

We were told we had to get a few things before we could begin. I was, however, concerned that nobody was waiting for the delivery of building materials, but it turned out this was not necessary, not because Tanzanian delivery drivers do not require any paperwork to be filled in for drop-off, but because we had to dig for the clay ourselves. It turned out to be very enjoyable to climb up and down the 6ft deep hole, dig and bag the clay powder.

After hauling the bags of clay back to the house on the village’s man-powered cart, we were ready to begin mixing the clay powder with water so we put on our work-gloves and got our shovels ready to mix. But no, “This is Africa! TIA!”, so instead we were told to remove our work boots and mix it by foot. Imagine wine making, only on a pile of mud while a Tanzanian ‘fundi’ (The Swahili word for ‘handyman’) throws water at your feet. Clay-squishing is surprisingly therapeutic, and we were able to enjoy a treatment which thousands of Britons would pay hundreds for at a beauty-spa day. It was discovered that wet clay is an excellent choice for a facemask, although it was originally intended solely for the walls.

On top of our work on this house, we also started the foundations and wooden skeleton for another house in the village. We had to dig one-and-a-half-foot deep holes in a line about 3 inches apart from each other in the position of the future walls. Due to the large number of holes required, we were unable to finish it all in one day, so we left it overnight to complete over two days. The local children were clearly keen to help us in our work, as they kindly decided to fill some of our foundation holes back in! Still, at least the filled holes we had to re-dig again gave us extra practice.

On top of the house-building, we carried out work in a local secondary school, renovating classrooms which were previously in a dire state. The Head teacher was very proud of his school, and had big ambitions to improve the quality of education for the 600 pupils and 13 teachers.

After several days’ worth of hard labour, a well-deserved rest & relaxation day was required. Some of the group went on a snorkeling trip and enjoyed a heart-healthy lunch on a barren atoll no bigger than a tennis court, formed by low tide in the Indian Ocean. Others preferred to stay at the camp, relaxing in the soft-drink bar and enjoying the breathtaking views of the ocean, which could not be any closer to the camp. In the afternoon, once the snorkelers had returned to camp, we went into Tanga town and had a quick look around, visiting a few shops.

Our final full day was a special one. It was someone in the group’s 17^th Birthday, and the camp had been decorated in a British theme, supporting Team GB at the Olympics. When the tide was out, the group went seaweed farming. This involved tying small bits of seaweed to ropes and letting them grow in the sea. Once grown, the seaweed can be harvested and sold by the villagers to countries like China and Thailand, where it will be used in a variety of different products, from ice cream to nail varnish. We were very successful at this, and managed to smash yet another Camp Tanga Project Work record, our fourth record breaker! The idea of breaking previous records really kept everyone motivated. After lunch, the village mamas taught us how to cook chapattis and vishetis, the Tanzanian equivalent of churros.

From the Canon Slade Tanzanian Mountain Expedition…

After 8 hours flight followed by another 1 hour flight we finally arrived in Tanzania. We went to Camp Mbokomu first where we spent the first week doing project work at the local School making a veranda (which we did in record time) and carpentry where we made two Tables for the School’s Dining Hall. It was an amazing camp and a great way to start the expedition. As we got a warm welcome from both the School children and staff.

A great way to finish our community work and to end our time in camp was for us to join in their sports day (which they quite easily won).

Bringing us back to reality, we left Camp Mbokomu and began our climb up Mt. Meru. We climbed for 3 days, the first 2 days being relatively fun and enjoyable. The 3rd day (if being woken up at 12 counts  as the start of a new day) was where it went down hill. (even though it was a very steep uphill). With no idea of our surroundings or what was even in front of us, we began our summit climb to Mt. Meru. Thankfully, we had amazing Guides who helped us all keep going (even when we were scrambling across the Rocks). After 8 and a half hour climb, we made it to the top of the mountain with only one student having dropped out of the summit climb. It was a difficult struggle but it was overlooked once we made it to the top and saw the sunrise.

Coming off the mountain we went to Camp Meru where we worked with the locals and we taught in School. It was so cute as we taught them songs and they sang to us. It was an amazing experience and something we’ll never forget.

Cutting our time at Meru camp short we went on our safari trip, which was another incredible experience seeing the wildlife and how different it all is from the Zoo…(But watch out for the Monkey who steals your food!)

After our relaxing time on safari we arrived at Camp Miti Mirefu where we were back to hard work doing animal conservation project. We did a variety of things such as;
1.    Digging water holes
2.    Making Paper out of Elephant poo (It does not smell)
3.    Visiting a local Masai village

We really enjoyed this experience as it highlighted the difference in our lives.

We are now moving to Tanga next for out last week where we will do some more community projects. Our time here has been an eye opening experience and something none of us will ever forget.

Canon Slade Team!

Jambo! Karibu!

Our life at Camp Tanga has been fantabulous, tiring and extremely rewarding.  Many awesome memories have been formed while doing the project work and being around Camp.

Our group has done a lot of work on one particular classroom at the local school, in just three days we have managed to re-concrete the entire floor, rebuild the doorway, filled in all the cracks and then painted the room white. Alongside the classroom we completed the veranda and its columns. Most of the hours were spent making cement from sand, water and cement powder. The job was pretty hard going, but still very necessary to get the job done. After came the fun of smoothing the cement floor down, with the wonderful and always grateful help of Fundi, Balah and Winnie.

Teaching the children was a particularly incredible experience for everyone who had the chance to do so. We taught the children songs such as ‘Heads, Shoulders , Knees and Toes’ and ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, in return the classes sung traditional Tanzanian tunes to us.

Another of our great days included building a mud house with our bare hands. Squishing the mud between our toes to mix the muddy mixture was a new, entertaining experience which generated many laughs. Many bricks have been built and Balla’s mum’s house is defiantly closer to completion.

We also did weaving which for some was frustrating but for others extremely enjoyable. The mama’s were happy we had helped them and we were happy we could help. We also helped farm some seaweed which is the main income for many locals. Our help was greatly appreciated, as its a long, tedious job, but with 23 extra pairs of hands we managed to complete 110 lines, giving vital extra income for the local families. This felt very worthwhile because we could see the results of our work. Many of our group were sunburnt but once again many laughs were generated from our experience. Cooking was another incredible experience given to us by the mamma’s as we learnt how to make Chapatis and Vishet the traditional African way.
All in all our time here has been stunningly epic! An unforgettable life changing experience.

Live long and prosper,

Love
The Princethorpe Crew

Just got this in from Camp Tanzania where the Westholme Team and several other school groups are working hard and having a great time doing it too…

After a hard forty-eight hours of traveling miles from home, we finally arrived at the dot on the landscape that was Kilimanjaro Airport. Although us Westholme Team are normally as high as kites with enthusiasm it was safe to say we had all hit the wall and were shattered, especially after a transfer to Moshi Camp where a cockerel crowed all the way through our two hours sleep.

The next morning, slightly in a daze, we made a six hour coach transfer across the country to our next camp which sat right on the coast of the Indian Ocean. The view ten meters from our tent door blew us away with stunningly beautiful crystal clear water and the Camp’s sausage dog George providing many hours of entertainment. Having expected a hole in the ground for a toilet, we were absolutely exhilarated in seeing three flushing toilets and four showers, not to mention the massive mess tent built around a baobab tree complete with iPod speakers, a bar and sofas overlooking the sea.

However, we were here primarily to work alongside the community with the Camps International staff and so left the comfort of our home to do a variety of projects each day. Westholme team were responsible for three projects which we all had a chance to work on. Some girls were lucky enough to take a break from plastering walls and renovating a classroom in the Mwakidila Primary School to teach the children, although Eleanor Lynch did use this as an opportunity to teach our African friends a Beyonce song or two. Others dug the foundations and built the frame for a new house in the local village just outside Tanga, where Emily Latham-Taylor found a scorpion on her walking boot.

Finally Westholmers Team took part in seaweed farming and wove palm leaves to form the roof for the new traditional house. It hasn’t been all work though; we’ve had a fancy dress party with the theme of ‘bad taste’ and even went to the wedding of the sister of our project leader Bala where our version of traditional African dancing was a definite highlight.

On our rest and relaxation day we took a break from ‘building our guns’, courtesy of Eliphas, to take a guided tour of Tanga town, the local market and more importantly – the supermarket. Various snacks were bought to fuel our later mountain climb and some necessary home comforts were found to the delight of many, Nutella in particular being a clear favourite. With only two more days left a current home, our excitement at moving into Camp Miti Mirefu and a couple of days on safari is definitely growing…

Although, it will be with sad hearts that we leave Camp Tanga and our family here.

Lots of love,
Ruth, Ells and Kirsten xoxo

Last weekend, some of our UK Camps crew made their way to the Breacon Beacons to  meet up with 16 of our ‘Expedition Coordinator’ teachers, travelling with us this summer for teachers training.

The purpose of the weekend was to assist our travelling teachers with final preparation, before they embark on their Africa or Asia adventure with their school group.

We ran a number of briefings and workshops over the weekend which included a First Aid course and a kit briefing at the Cotswold Outdoors store.

Naturally, we made time to enjoy some evening beers at the lovely local pub (be rude not to!), and we took some of the teachers up  Pen Y Fan on Sunday morning – the highest peak in South Wales.

It was a great weekend and a perfect opportunity to spend more time with some our brilliant teachers, who do an amazing job supporting the expedition and the student teams within their school.

Big thanks to all who came – and to the rest of our travelling teachers….we will keep you posted on our next event and we hope to see you there!

This October, just like so many others that have past, Camp Tanzania hosted 5 Teachers and 2 members of staff from the UK office who had come out for the recce. Beauty of it all was that none of them had previous been to the land of Kilimanjaro. Tommie and the Camp Tanzania team share a little bit of the inside story…

Nothing beats seeing the highest point in Africa as soon as you jump off the plane. It was a clear day on the 24th and our gang certainly chose the best of times to arrive.

They took pictures of both Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro as we drove from the airport to Camp Mbokomu. In this party of 7 we had 3 Teachers who will be coming out for the mountain adventure next summer and 2 for scuba. One of them joked and said he was changing to Scuba after seeing the over 4600mtrs Meru! I’m not going to name names here but X went further and faked a cough and complained of a sore throat seeing that they might still be suffering from it come next summer…Developing cold feet, I must say. Gotcha Matt!

On getting to Camp Mbokomu, the Teachers were ushered into their camp. The briefings and orientations ensued. We took them through Mbokomu School for a bit of familiarization tour. They even had a chance to get in some of the classrooms to say hello and take pictures with the School kids.

Thereafter, we walked them to our local open air market and Moshi town and visited a Hospital. St. Joseph is run by Catholic sisters and their presences reminded us of the “sister act”. The Teachers were given a tour of the facility but had their reservations about visiting the morgue. Shame we did not get to do this..hahaha!

Anyways, the next day we were on the road heading to Ndarakwai. This is our wildlife camp located in west Kilimanjaro. This camp is sandwiched between the two mountains, Kili and Meru. As a rustic and basic bush camp, Ndarakwai gives you a true African out in the wild feeling. This was evident because as soon as the Teachers arrived, they were taken on a nature walk. Accompanied by a Ranger with a rifle, the Teachers went on seeing different types of wild animals which ranged from, Elephants, warthogs, Baboons, Zebras, monkeys just to mention a few!

Back at camp there was dinner and a camp fire. Whilst the Teachers were having their dinner, I was busy stringing some questions together for the trivia.

“Who’s smarter now”…2 men and an escort was the boy’s team name while the girls team was “Spider catchers”. This name was derived from an incident that Rosie one of the Teacher’s was called in to rescue her male counterparts from being eaten alive by a “huge” spider. Guess who won. Well, your guess is as good as mine.

Next day, honey was over. The Teachers were involved in ranch maintenance and worked on a furrow that was overgrown with grass and damaged by animals. Their task was to dig out the mud so that the water flows freely and get rid of the overgrown grass and get logs and stones to strengthen the furrow’s banks.

That afternoon, we took them to a Maasai boma for a bit of a cultural experience and checking out some of the ladies jewelry and bead work. Thereafter, they went on a game drive in the ranch. Having been at the Maasai boma, seen their culture and their way of life, it was inevitable that a dance was on the cards.

We left Ndarakwai bright and early for Tanga. After a long trip of over 6 hours, we were finally at camp. It is at this camp that they were taken round Mwambani village and shown the work which was done by both Gap and School expeditions who have been through Camp Tanga.

They weren’t going to leave without having a go at seaweed farming. That afternoon they also gave a white wash to one of the traditional houses that camps have built for the less fortunate in the village and of course had an opportunity to see all the little beauties of the ocean shores…

We wrapped up the recce by going out for a group meal.

Great Team and we can’t wait to have you back students, warts and all!