During the Michaelmas Term, Isla, Clemmie and Breeshey (L6) embarked upon an incredible adventure in South Africa at the Warriors Accelerated Scholarship Programme. After demonstrating their ability through a rigorous application process, they were ready to experience the eight-day tour designed to take pupils out of their every day lives, build social skills, and challenge them in new ways.
Here are their highlights!
“My experience of the Warriors programme was amazing. Being in a completely different environment than I am used to was scary, however I found that by throwing myself in and giving my all to the activities that we did, I soon loved it! I most definitely did not want to leave by the end of the week.
My favourite activity that we did would have to be the big swing or the caving. The big swing was the first thing that we did and for sure the scariest – I’d be lying if I said I was not nervous! Following this I was not afraid to try any of the activities for the remainder of the trip.
Initially I was not looking forward to the caving because the idea of being in pitch black caves was not really my cup of tea. However, it was one of the highlights of my trip. We swam in Lisbon Falls and then under the waterfall to get into the caves.
Visiting Matebeta Educare School was an extremely moving experience – playing with the children is an experience I will never forget. The Warriors programme has made me into a person who says yes. I made new friends on this trip and my bonds with old friends became even stronger.
On the final day of the trip we were all sent up in a tiny prop plane to do a skydive! The week had prepared me mentally and physically for this jump – it was amazing. WASP is such a unique experience and I would highly recommend this to anybody who wants to get out of their shell and learn more about themselves. I also want to say a huge thank you to the school and bursary for allowing me to take part in this trip – it is something that I will never forget.” Breeshey.
“Travelling to South Africa to participate in the Warriors Accelerated Scholarship Programme was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It challenged me mentally and physically as well as introducing me to new cultures and activities. Throughout the trip we did lots of different activities which included, rock climbing to a waterfall, caving, visiting a school, feeding hippos; making new friends along the way. The skydive was definitely the highlight of my trip and the perfect challenge to finish our incredible adventure” Isla.
“My experience with Warriors was amazing. At first, I was a bit sceptical and nervous, but it got so much better throughout the week we were there. The other three girls we met were really nice and we all became good friends. It was difficult at first to adjust to being away from home, but they made us feel very welcome and all the activities really improved my self-confidence. My favourite activity was definitely the skydiving at the end of the week – we had high expectations and it did not disappoint. I feel like everyone got a lot braver and more confident as the week progressed because at the beginning of the week some of us were really nervous for the skydive however by time we were jumping, we were all hyped and not scared at all.
Another one of my favourite activities was the rock climbing. We went out to the mountains and climbed up to a beautiful waterfall and went swimming in a plunge pool before climbing back down the mountain without any harnesses.
One of the things that really touched me was when we went to Matebeta Educare school and spent time with the children. We all really enjoyed playing with the children because they were all so happy and found the smallest things amusing which was so nice to watch and be apart of. The Warriors Accelerated Scholarship Programme taught me a lot, it taught me to take every opportunity you are given and be grateful for what you have. On this trip I learnt so much about myself and built a closer bond to the other two girls I went with. I would really encourage anyone who is wanting to gain any form of life experience to apply for this program, as it teaches you so much and is just a wonderful experience that I’ll never forget.” Clemmie.
