As I mentioned in my newsletter (24thy May) I shared with you that I was heading to Mombasa, Kenya to visit the schools we have been twinned with for the past 3 years. Along with another headteacher and teacher, we set off on our travels not quite knowing what to expect. None of us were prepared for the level of poverty that the children we are linked with actually live in and this was the biggest eye-opening aspect of the trip. On the second day there we did go on a safari to the Tsavo East game reserve - 13,000 square kms of wildlife! The accommodation had perhaps the best views in the world - overlooking the Savana grasslands packed with wildlife. We did see a huge range of wild animals - too many to list but we saw elephants, giraffes, hippos, zebras and lions but no rhinos (as they are in Tsavo West). There's no doubting that this part of the trip was amazing and a genuine bucket list item. You will notice that 'Hodgie', the Year 1 class mascot, also accompanied me on my trip and loved the safari!  The Tuesday and Wednesday were our school visits. Previously we'd only ever met selected staff and children/students on live video link ups so this was very exciting to meet them all in person! The Global Schools' Project runs alongside the Kids' League Kenya charity which offers life changing scholarships to promising students to fund them through school, college and university to find a better life. We visited the home of one such success story, Yvonne, who lived in the slum area and attended one of our schools. Now 25, and a civil engineer university graduate, Yvonne was able to break away from the poverty where she and her family lived. Visiting her home makes you grateful for what we have in the UK and the homes that we live in - her home comprised of one small room containing a bed which all 7 family members lived, ate and slept. This toilet was shared with 5 other families. Despite the poverty, the children and students gave us the warmest welcome you could possibly receive. What they don't have in materials they have in abundance of love, smiles and a love of education. Each school welcomed us with open arms and a song and dance. We got to talk to the children and look at their work. They asked us questions and we asked them questions. I am convinced that children are children no matter where you are in the world but some children are born into better opportunities that others. We were able to hand over gifts - footballs biscuits and diaries (things they wanted) which they were so grateful for. On Friday we visited a coral regeneration project which King Charles had only just visited a few weeks before! In fact I snorkelled out to see his very own coral which was an amazing site. One of the guys, who is involved with the project, talked to us about their gardening project they were doing to help local famers and families - he ended up with one of my Derby tops! It was a fast paced and tiring week but a life-changing experience that I am so glad I did. It was nice representing our school and now gives more meaning to the video link ups we do in future. Attached is a very small selection of the hundreds of pictures I took and unfortunately I can't attach videos here. 

Best wishes,

Mr Tague