A group of 18 young volunteers from ACS Egham International School recently returned from a successful ten-day expedition to Kenya, during which they provided some much-needed renovation work to a local primary school.

The group of 16- to 18-year-olds visited the Bingwa primary school in the town of Nanyuki between 15 and 25 October, and worked on the construction of three classrooms and the relocation of the school kitchen to a better site.

This was the second annual trip of ACS Egham’s five-year mission to improve the quality of the working environment for the children of the Bingwa primary school, which is a non-feepaying school and has approximately 650 students aged from six to 15, with classroom sizes ranging from 40 to 60.

As well as doing repair work, the visiting students took cases full of clothes, shoes and books to give to the school, so that every child received a gift. They also spent time with the children of the school, teaching skills in sport, music, art and English.

The whole of ACS Egham was able to be involved in the expedition, with many students sending letters and photographs, which were all read out and handed to the local children.

Bill Roach, head of PE at ACS Egham and one of the teachers who led the expedition, said, “The expedition was a huge success. When we arrived, the local students and teachers welcomed us with cheering, singing and dancing. On one of the days, we shared a meal with the school staff, only to find that they didn’t have any bowls or utensils. So we used some of the funds raised to go to a local store and buy some. The school staff were so grateful for the gift.

“There is a big feeling of achievement, which goes beyond just the people who went on the expedition to the whole of ACS Egham.”

Emily Jose was one of the students who went on the expedition last year as well as this year. She said, “This year, I think the people of the Bingwa school seemed to appreciate us more, because we kept our promise and came back again. I wasn’t expecting so many people in the community to remember me as well as they did, which was great. By going on the expedition, I have not only made stronger friendships with the students who went from ACS Egham, but I have gained an understanding of a very different culture.”

In the second leg of the trip, the students challenged their personal limits with a trek through the hilly region of Lake Naivasha, which is rich in wildlife, with hippopotami and over 400 different species of bird.