A group of students from Brockenhurst College recently journeyed to Kenya to support humanitarian projects.
The 26 sixth formers embarked on the 12-day trip to work on three projects for impoverished children near Nairobi.
The students, known as Brock2Kenya, split their efforts between Melon Mission School, Little Kings Nursery, and Silver Bells Welfare Centre for Orphaned Children.
Melon Mission educates 450 children aged three to 15, Silver Bells cares for 120 children aged three to seven, and Little Kings looks after 60 toddlers.
The projects are located in deprived areas around Nakuru, about 100 miles northwest of Nairobi.
After planning and fundraising in the UK, the students started work on a rain harvesting and water storage plant at Silver Bells.
They also repaired a play swing and renovated a classroom.
The new plant will provide water for flushing toilets and crops, helping improve self-sufficiency in the community.
A similar guttering system and water tank were installed at Melon Mission School.
The students also laid a concrete floor in a rain shelter at Little Kings Nursery, turning it into an extra classroom.
Education and Early Years student Charlotte Lodwidge, from Marchwood, said: "This trip was the most memorable and rewarding experience I have ever had.
"It was so much more than I thought it would be when I signed up, so thank you to Adrian, Alistair, Alex and Ruth for giving us this opportunity to experience the world from an entirely new perspective."
Trip lead Adrian Butterworth said: "To say we’re tired is an understatement, but we’re proudly exhausted and blown away by our students’ efforts.
"Just like in 2019, 2022 and 2023, they were a real credit to themselves, their parents and Brockenhurst College."
The group took part in daily feeding programmes, organised games, taught literacy and numeracy, and distributed 900kg of aid, including clothes, shoes, toiletries, sanitary products, and learning materials.
They also delivered 64 lessons in subjects they are studying at college.
In their free time, the students explored the Rift Valley, went on safari, visited a giraffe sanctuary, and attended a cultural exhibition in Nairobi.
Each student covered their own expenses, which amounted to about £2,050 each.
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