World Challenge

Education through exploration

World Challenge expeditions are designed to develop important life skills, helping students to

 World Challenge became the 'Gateacre Challenge’ during the summer of 2018 as our staff and students embarked on the trip of a lifetime, flying to Johannesburg and travelling across to Swaziland and Mozambique.  

The team began with a four-day trek and wild camping in the Malolotja nature reserve. Then trekking across the Lubombo Mountain trail.

The final week they travelled across the border to Mozambique. It was, however, the six nights camping on the ground of a school in Phosela in Swaziland where they worked during the day which was to become life changing for all concerned.

The team helped to build a classroom and worked with the children. This was an emotional challenge for the team to see how little they had, both in school and out of school. There were no resources to teach with at the school, not even a blackboard.  Even more overwhelming was to see how their lives had been affected by the loss of family members to HIV and Aids and to see our students work alongside the children with positivity and humility was a very proud experience for the staff. It was a very sad day when they waved goodbye to the staff and students that they had formed such strong bonds with.

When we returned to Gateacre we secured a shipping container, generously donated by Britannia Shipping which we filled with as many items as possible including a gas stove, as the ladies who work in the school cook over an open fire for 9 hours each day and it has impacted their health.

Due to the size of the container, we extending our request for donations so the whole village could benefit too. The builders in the school were working on site in flip flops, so any old boots/trainers for adults were accepted. It was very cold while our students were so suitable warm weather clothing was appreciated.

Our BIG Little Library donated books for the students as English is taught within the school. The knit and natter group based in our BLL knitted blankets, scarfs, hats and gloves as well as donating 3 bin bags full of wool for the ladies of the village. The ladies had run out of wool when our students were there and were having to use stretched pieces of plastic to complete their garments. We also received donations from Rose Lane Dental Surgery and Monkton Nursery.

We ended up with 18 boxes of clothes, shoes, toys, school equipment and an industrial size cooker with a food preparation table. We flat packed some school play equipment as it was too big to fit. All Out Africa agreed to convert the cooker from electric to gas when it arrives in Swaziland and provide some gas canisters. After over 2 years in transit due to Covid the container finally arrived in the village.

In the summer of 2016 a number of our Year 11-13 students headed off on the trip of a lifetime to Cambodia and Northern Thailand. As well as trekking  through jungles and camping out under the stars they will be volunteering with  an organisation called Working for Children, at the Rainbow Orphanage in the  village of Ka Ektom, Siem Riep Province, Cambodia.

Working for Children (WFC) is a Khmer volunteer staffed  organisation that assists vulnerable children, orphans, their families, and  rural schools in Siem Reap province. Founded in 2007 as a registered local NGO,  WFC selected a location in rural Siem Reap for its work in the Prasat Bakong,  Puok and Banteau Srei districts.

Their mission is to ensure that less fortunate children  in the rural community are cared for and given educational opportunities which  will enable them to break out of the cycle of poverty.