Charters has been running overseas trips in conjunction with World Challenge since 2006. World Challenge is an organisation which specialises in school trips to Less Developed Countries, where pupils take part in project work in a local community and have the opportunity to travel around the country. Groups normally consist of 12-20 pupils, normally from years 11-13, plus two members of teaching staff and a World Challenge Leader. The trip takes place during the summer holidays and can be anything from 2-4 weeks in length. If there is enough interest from the students there has been, in the past, two groups.
The trips are open to all pupils in the relevant year groups and the expectation is that pupils will raise the money required (normally around £1000 per week of the trip) through a variety of fundraising activities both in school and in their own time. Once on the trip the emphasis is on the pupils to take responsibility and develop their leadership skills. A different pupil acts as 'leader' each day, making key decisions, organising transport, co-ordinating the cooking group etc. Others take on roles such as accountant, activity organiser and cook.
Charters have now run five of these trips: two to Sri Lanka, one to India, one to Peru and the latest to Ghana in 2010. We hope to continue to run them on a bi-annual basis in the future. Our next trip is scheduled to be in 2013, to Southern India. It is hoped, following on from our success working in Africa that this will develop into a more sustainable link. The trip is open to the students that started Year 11 and Year 12 in September 2011. For more information about India 2013 please contact Mr Wright, Assistant Headteacher on wrigi001@rbwm.org
World Challenge Ghana 2010 - our latest trip!
34 students and four staff from years 11 and 12 left for Ghana at 3.30 am the day after term finished. It was the start of an exciting two weeks which pupils had been building up to for the previous year. They had done a whole range of fundraising activities from packing bags at Waitrose to organising a ‘Ghana Unplugged’ concert in order to raise money for the trip, and for the project work they would be doing once there.
Pupils divided into two teams, and worked at two different schools, both in the remote village of Ayensudo, about 50 miles from the capital Accra. Conditions at both the schools were basic, with pupils camping or staying in the classrooms. There was no running water so pupils relied on supplies which were brought up by local villagers. They cooked their food on a small stove, and ate produce bought at the local market.
Project work consisted of building a playground from scratch out of local materials. Pupils found this exhausting work in temperatures of over 30 degrees, not to mention very high humidity. However, they persevered and found it immensely satisfying to watch the young pupils play on the playground. They also organised a sports day, which was attended by all the villagers, as well as a malaria awareness campaign.
Ghana was a fascinating place to visit, and pupils had an enriching experience. They immersed themselves in the culture and saw a side of life that they wouldn’t have, had they just been travelling. It was an experience which they will look back on for years to come.
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