The last full day in South Africa for our UK students. We’ve done everything else, so what better way to spend it than experiencing some of the culture.

Within seconds of being in the village the young children were begging our students to play games and hi-five them

We meet our guides at the shop, a small one roomed shop that serves the needs of the whole community. Then it was time to walk to the primary school, a walk many young children are happy to walk as it takes them to their friends and an education that they are all grateful for.

Our UK students experience the walk.

Many of the children that attend the school walk even further, sometimes on their own and this made our students realise just how lucky they are.

Luke even helped to push one of the teachers cars when it got stuck in the mud.

The African students are always very excited to see our students and teach them songs, and dances as they try – even at 5 years old – to connect with their new friends.

The lower years treat our students to a song

Then it was the turn of some of our students to sing to the older students

To say thank you for taking time out of their lessons to talk to us and teach us about their community the UK students brought with them a large donation of chalks, pencils, crayons, notepads, clothing, toys and sweets for the children which they left to be distributed amongst the most needy children.

Some of the donation to the school

The deputy head thanks us all for the donations

Then we were lucky enough to be shown around a rural homestead in the same village.

Our little friends from outside the village shop even showed us where it was.

We were shown the traditional cooking huts and all got to peek inside the dark room which despite getting covered in soot from the range is surprisingly clean.

We learnt about the way in which traditionally women must sit on the left of a house and men on the right. We also learnt about the gender roles within the community – which the girls did not think were particularly fair!

But sadly it is now time to go back to the camp and begin to pack for the flight back to the UK tomorrow.