
First of all I would like say a big thank you to the Young Explorers’ Trust and its honorary members for providing me with the YET Award 2024. Your support has enabled me to have this wonderful opportunity and experience of a life time.
My expedition to Kenya commenced on the 14th of July ‘24 and it was a 4-week trip. I landed back in Manchester on the 12th of August. During this trip we stayed at 4 different locations based in the rural areas of Kenya. These camps were: The Wildlife foundation, Camp Tiwi, Camp Muhaka and Camp Tsavo. Each camp had different aims and objectives based on its surroundings. We shared the experience with 5 other students from Southlands high school, Chorley who we created strong friendships with and I still keep in touch with them. This really helped me to build on teamwork in a fun environment.
The Wildlife Foundation (TWF) (Duration: 3 days)
This camp was an hour from Nairobi and the first place we stayed at. The camp felt much more homely than the other camps we would stay at due to the simplicity of life at TWF. It also gave us a taste of what the next camps would be like, and they made sure we were prepared. For e.g. they gave us Swahili lessons and various unusual foods like goat meat to help us get used to the food for the next 4 weeks. The projects were simple here, such as collecting rocks for building gabions and clearing paths which required less physical activity, which helped ease us into project work. The camp’s entertainment was brilliant. They provided us with multiple board games and a volleyball net which really helped us to stay away from using technology. It also helped us to connect to our peers and the staff whilst keeping us busy, reducing the feeling of homesickness.
Camp Tiwi (Duration: 7 days)
Camp Tiwi is based by The Hillpark hotel and next to the sea. This camp’s focuses include supporting a nearby village and marine conservation. The camp itself is very pleasant and almost feels like a resort with a lovely clean beach. The project work there was much more difficult. My team’s job was to build a mud house for one of the members of the village. This was a 3-day project consisting of mixing water and a sand and dirt combination to form mud which we would then throw onto the house’s walls to provide many layers. However, during this project the group would be split into 2 and whilst one half would be working on the house, the other half would be collecting water from a well which is 700 meters away and the village’s only source of water. During these 3 days we got to experience life in a Kenyan community and had the opportunity to play with some of the kids on our breaks who would come to watch what we were doing. One of our project days was dedicated to marine conservation. We cleaned up the beach and watched the sea turtle eggs laid on Tiwi beach. We also had a lecture later in the day from some marine conservationists on how marine conservation is approached in Kenya and some facts on sea turtles. The food at this camp was much more varied with Kenyan food on some days and food from Britain as well to make sure that we were having new meals as well as ones that we were used to having in Britain.
Camp Muhaka (Duration: 6 Days)
Camp Muhaka is located in the town of Muhaka. The camp’s surroundings included multiple schools and a village nearby. There was also a marketplace which is incredibly different to the ones we would see in our country. Project work here was challenging and potentially more difficult than at Tiwi. We worked very closely with a school just 5 minutes away from camp. At the school we were building an extension to introduce more classrooms. To do so we had to hand make bricks which was done by mixing sand, cement and water followed by shaping it using a box. Whenever we made the mixture for bricks, none of it was wasted and the staff would make sure it was all used showing how much they value their resources. We also had the opportunity to play with some of the children at the school. We taught them some English and Welsh and they taught us Swahili before we played them in a game of netball which was very popular there. We also worked on a house in the area. However, the materials used to build the walls were different to the house we built in Tiwi showing the contrast in resources in the area and how well they are utilized to reduce waste. Additionally, we went on a rain forest walk with one of the elders of the camp who showed us around the forest and explained some of the plants to us. We managed to see the different medicinal values of each of the plants and how they are used to benefit people. This camp helped expose us to the community and people whilst also helping us practice using Swahili. This camp helped me to realize that although people in Kenya suffer from poverty, they seem to be happier than many of the people in our country due to the lively lives they all live. It also helped to show me and my friends how lucky we are to have a school where desks are considered a necessity whereas in Kenya, they are a luxury.
Camp Tsavo (Duration: 8 days)
Camp Tsavo is by the Tsavo East national park and on a hill. There are two schools about five minutes from the camp and many farms. The school project included renovating a reception classroom and a year 3 classroom. During the day we had the opportunity to play with some of the kids who were on holiday but allowed on the school campus. We played football with them and surprisingly although they were very young, they spoke good English and understood most the things we said. We worked on a house for a family of ten. However, construction here differed again as bricks were used to build the house instead of mud. This may be due to high wind speeds on top of a mountain showing how well adapted the people are. Members of the community would also come to help as volunteers indicating that community means a lot in Kenya. We also went on a trek and safari and got to see how well taken care of the national park as well as the mountain we climbed. The protection provided for the animals and plants by the Kenyan government is very respectable and thoughtful of them and shows how good they are at conserving their wildlife compared to Britain. However, at this camp we got to experience using drop toilets which is one thing I do not miss about Camp Tsavo!
Overall, I believe this trip has helped me see more value in the small things in life. I think that many of the Kenyan citizen’s habits will become very useful for me and help me to improve in any activities I participate in. I am certain that I will see more value in the things I see in my daily life and will make sure to reduce the amount of waste I create as that waste is immensely valuable to the less fortunate. I am also trying to teach some of the Kenyan culture to my friends and family. I am trying to do so through the Swahili lessons we had along with cooking lessons we had with the mamas at each of the camps. This is to make sure that more people are aware of Kenyan culture and have the opportunity to support and help residents in Kenya that are living in poor conditions.
A few of the memories captured during projects work and activities:



Once again I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Young Explorers’ Trust for their continued encouragement, supporting young people with YET Awards to achieve their potential, an overall positive impact this makes in their life.