This trip had many returning volunteers some visiting for the third time. As an organization, FOY appreciates that this trip is more than just a onetime adventure for some but a mission to accomplish many things. As FOY always provides a time for the group to reflect round a camp fire, many returning volunteers shared their reasons for the multiple visits. The one that struck me the most was, “They (the village) have become my people”.
Among the donated items were:
#1: Science kit
#2: Over 800 donated books
#3: Over 500 donated t‐shirts
#4: 300 FOY pre‐printed mini plastic bags for all student and teacher gifts
#5: Discovery science t‐shirts
#6: Basket, volley, and soccer balls
#7: Sanitary kits
#8: Health kits
#9: The game of BINGO
The cultural exchange activities included sisal rope-making, cow milking, porridge tasting, local brew tasting and dances. The featured movie this year was Mandela – Long Walk To Freedom.
The trip culminated with safaris in Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Game Reserve and Lake Manyara Game Park in Tanzania. A highlight was the stopover in Oldupai Gorge (Olduvai), located in the Great Rift Valley, between the Ngorongoro Crate and the Serengeti National Park. This location is a historical site best known as the oldest evidence of mankind’s evolution.
