This summer, Year 12 students embarked on a two week CAS trip to our partner school in Senegal.

The adventure for Daisy, Detzi, Martha and Michael began at 4.00am in Heathrow airport. Laden with excess luggage and teachers, the four embarked on the journey to Dakar.

After arriving in Dakar we enjoyed an evening concert with music performed by local artists. We then paid a visit to Île de Gorée, Dakar’s world heritage site. We were treated to an excellent tour and history lesson in relation to Gorée’s colonial past and central involvement in the slave trade. Students were also able to take in the local sights, sounds and smells which included sand painting, shopping and live music. We were also witness to the arrival the Olympic youth games torch.

Then came the epic 16 hour journey to Podor which included three tyre changes, a new coach and a lunch stop in the riverside city of St Louis. Upon a late night arrival to Podor the students were greeted by the host families and were fully immersed in Senegalese culture.

The following day the group were treated to their first experience of École Elementaire de Donaye 1, our partner school. The school and the village had kindly organized a two day welcoming ceremony and concerts in order to say thank you for the work that we were about to do and all the money that we had raised.

This included speeches from the village chief, the British Ambassador, Ms Stanley and Sixth Form Student Detzi, as well as local music, and a debate on migration showcasing local students talents. The evening concert included entertainment from one of Africa’s most famous musicians, Baaba Maal.

The group then set to work cleaning, filling, sanding and painting all 14 classrooms in the school. The aim of the visit was to improve the learning environment for local children and offer them a clean, safe, stimulating place to learn. Students had the opportunity to work with the local children and learn about their school experiences. They also were able to talk to teachers at the school and find out about the differences in our education systems.

Thanks to the generosity of the pupils, families, staff and friends of St Mary Magdalene Academy we achieved our goal for this year and have raised enough money to build a new library for the school next year.

Many thanks to all of you who donated generously!

Click the pictures below to see them at full size…