South Africa

In July, a group of 21 Paulines and 3 staff spent nearly three weeks in South Africa with The Wilderness Foundation.

Wild camping in the National Parks of St Lucia, Imfolozi and the Drakensberg Mountains combined the basic physical pleasures of hiking with a chance to get very close to the wildlife and experience true wilderness. At the end of the trip, five days in Mabandla saw the group working on building projects for the local school, a mud construction much in need of repair. By working and living with the locals, in a town with no electricity and running water only in streams and standpipes, a much greater respect for the hardships of life in such an environment was gained, but also a respect for the people who give freely of what little they have - even if it is only a smile.

The boys on the trip were challenged to adapt to this environment but did themselves and the school proud, both as ambassadors and in raising thousands of pounds to train new guides for the Wilderness Leadership School.