Hurst Expedition 2024
The Hurstpierpoint College Expedition 2024 set off on 30th June via Gatwick Airport to visit Cameron’s Orphanage in Mkushi, Zambia.
The team consisted of 27, Lower and Upper 6th form, students plus two teachers, Nick Chadwell and Cameron Allan. Amanda Jayne was the expedition leader working for Adventure Lifesigns, and James White went as an assistant. All had prepared to live ‘off grid’ in mud huts and to work hard to complete various tasks at the orphanage and school.
The expedition then moved south to Livingstone where we completed a two day, one night, challenging trek along the Zambezi River in the remote Bakota Gorge, wild camping under the stars. This was followed by a visit to Victoria Falls and a spectacular one day safari in Chobe National Park, across the border in Botswana.
This was a very successful trip with everyone turning their hand to something new, whether that was bricklaying, labouring, gardening, painting, cleaning, cooking, teaching, entertaining or partying with the orphanage children.
The team also self catered, shopping in the local market and cooking on traditional charcoal braziers, and even catered for over 50 people when we entertained the staff and children from the orphanage in our camp village. That was a night to remember as the incredible team staged an impromptu concert, showcasing their various talents, followed by a performance from the orphans themselves. Life-affirming moments like that are rare and precious,special memories were made.
The Hurst team worked hard and played hard and left exhausted but with an amazing sense of achievement.
During the six days on project the team managed to achieve the following:
- Re-paint the inside of the orphanage.
- Build a run off for the newly restored water pump.
- Help with the construction of a water tower and storage room in the garden of the orphanage.
- Repair the rain step around the outside of the orphanage.
- Repair the school toilets; this turned out to be a far bigger job than expected! However the team did a fantastic job and manage to complete the work.
- Buy new mattresses for some of the beds.
- Play with and entertain children living at Cameron’s Orphanage, everyday.
- Help with the vegetable garden.
- Build a compost heap.
- Paint murals on the school external wall and inside the pre-school.
- Buy tiles for floor in kitchen and living room, these have since been completed by John our builder.
- Mass litter pick in the school grounds.
- Played football against the local team.
