Wilderness Expertise in Nigeria

In July 2013 a team of 30 Nigerian students from Lagos arrived in the UK to carry out their Bronze International Award DofE training and expedition. Most of them had never ventured outside West Africa, let alone camped in a tent, or cooked their own food! It was fantastic to witness them discover new things and overcome new challenges, all the while wrapped up in numerous layers, despite it being pretty warm – for UK standards! In December a second Nigerian team from a school in Abuja ventured to a slightly more familiar location, Ghana. This team explored the Volta region, where they carried out a mapping programme during the trek for their Silver International DofE Award. This truly successful, yet tough expedition was brilliantly summed up by a team member: “It was beautiful, terrifying, tiring and I hated that you made me go into that forest but…..I loved every single moment and it was a wonderful experience. Thank you so much for the memories!” We look forward to working with both of these schools again in 2014 – as well as another Nigerian school who are keen to offer their pupils the Wilderness Expertise experience!