Cockermouth school students' eyes opened by trip to Africa

Heidi Watson, Ava Davidson, and Lorna Collings from Cockermouth School were among two groups of 16-year-old students to travel to the East African island nation over the holidays, with fundraising efforts helping to cover the £5,500 cost.  

All three suggested that the trip was a life-changing and eye-opening one - partly due to the vast differences between life there and in Cumbria. 

Students took in some stunning views on their trip to Madagascar (Image: Cockermouth School)Students would travel with adventure travel organiser World Challenge in two groups, from July 6 to July 29, and July 14 to August 6, taking part in a community project and completing a trek.

The first group would complete a five-day trek up Pic Boby, the second tallest mountain in Madagascar, which is found in the stunningly beautiful Andringitra National Park, while the second group took part in a three-day trek around the Ranomafana rainforest.

The Ranomafana rainforest (Image: Cockermouth School)Other than the first group missing their initial flight, the trip proved to be a huge success, and all three students were adamant that they'd go back in a heartbeat.

Heidi said: "I would’ve happily stayed there for a year. It’s obviously very expensive and a lot of people think it wasn’t worth it but you wouldn’t be able to get anything like it for less. We never had any problems with safety thanks to World Challenge.

"It makes you appreciate opportunities more. When I got home I was much more open to doing things that would help me in the future, when I might have been scared of doing something new."

All three students suggested that the community project, which allowed them to form connections with young children as they helped to build and paint new schools, was their favourite part of the trip. 

Students helped to build schools during their time in Madagascar (Image: Cockermouth School)

Ava said: "I think about the kids from the village every day, I miss them so much. The trip has taught me to appreciate what I’ve got. It really allowed us to understand how they live and what they do. I just thought it was really interesting."

And seeing children as young as seven working on the farms in Madagascar was a life-changing revelation for the teenagers, who have now vowed to help out more at home. 

The weather in Madagascar was a little drier than the wet weather the students are used to in Cumbria (Image: Cockermouth School)

Lorna added: "Often growing up, you refuse to do anything to help around the house. But these kids go to school at seven in the morning to get back at noon, in order to farm with their parents. They do so much willingly, and we’re still stubborn about it.

"It makes you more aware of how we live. They don’t have basic things like rubbish removal and the streets are covered. It makes you more mindful of how lucky you are."

The final day of the project included a cultural exchange where students and teachers spoke with Madagascan locals to discover the differences between life in Africa and life in Cumbria. 

Students were glad to return to their beds after nearly a month of staying in tents (Image: Cockermouth School)

While home comforts such as a warm shower, comfy bed, and a hug from mum were all appreciated upon their return to Cumbria, it seems clear that this was a hugely beneficial, life-changing experience for the students.