2018 Expedition

The 2018 expedition consisted of sixth formers and school leavers from Hurstpierpoint College travel to Mkushi to finish the work that had been started in 2017.

Since our visit in 2017 the orphanage building work had been completed with the roof being put on, plastering both inside and out. The nursery had been built up to roof height, had been plastered inside and out and was ready to have the roof put on.

The students spent their first night in Zambia just outside Lusaka at Eureka camp, a natural watering hole for local game and they were lucky enough to wake up with Zebra and Giraffe walking amongst the tents in the early morning.
After the five-hour drive to Mkushi, the bus was met by hundreds of children from Itala Community School who welcomed the students to their new home, the mud huts of Albert Mwansa village, with the long drop toilets and solar showers, located next to the school and Cameron’s Orphanage.

During the week on project the students were kept very busy brick laying, concreting, labouring, plastering, and painting, many new skills were learnt along the way.

Projects completed:

• Orphanage painted inside and out with hand painted pictures in the bedrooms
• Pre-School / nursery roof completed
• Floors in orphanage cleaned and polished in traditional Zambian style by hand with Cobra polish
• Two toilet blocks built up to roof height for Itala Community School

After their week on site the students travelled to Livingstone where they spent three challenging days walking the Bakota Gorge, sleeping out under the stars beside the great Zambezi River, catering for themselves carrying everything they needed with them. Then a day trip to Victoria falls, (Mosi-o-tunya in Zambian), a night camping beside a lake where they saw Hippos and Elephants in the early morning, before the return journey to Lusaka and the flight home.