Twelve students from Ntafufu Senior Secondary School, located in the community of Lusikisiki, in rural Eastern Cape, will be flying to London, as part of a London-based student exchange charity called BOTH (Broaden Out Their Horizons).
For all of the learners it will be their first time getting onto a plane, not to mention travelling overseas.
Global travel search platform Cheapflights is BOTH’s key partner and its staff have fundraised the costs required to fly Ntafufu students over for the exchange.
BOTH is an educational charity, based in London which facilitates an exchange programme between South Africa and London, whereby students are given the opportunity of a lifetime to experience a different culture.
The monetary funding from the Cheapflights.co.za goes towards flights, accommodation and activities for this trip – which follows a visit by 12 students to the Eastern Cape from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (EGA) school, located in Islington, north London, in late 2016.
“BOTH is an innovative, exciting charity founded on the belief that young people learn best from each other, and can, and should, make a difference to each other’s lives and to the future. We aim to support schools in developed and developing countries by funding and organising exchange visits with partner schools so that students can share similarities and learn from their differences.,” says Linda Quinn, one of the founders of BOTH.
Andrew Shelton, Managing Director of Cheapflights.co.za said “Here at Cheapflights, we’re passionate about the transformative power that travel can have over a young person’s life. Our company believes that an open world is a better world, and if, from this trip, the girls are able to learn that there is more that unites than divides them from their peers in London, and it instils in them a desire to search out new ways to broaden their horizons through travel in the future – then we will be very happy.”
“We’re proud to contribute to such a fascinating opportunity for both sets of students, and our team has enjoyed every moment of fundraising over ZAR 350,000 to make it happen”, Shelton continues.
The 12 students will spend ten days exploring London and all that the city has to offer, and getting a flavour for British life and society, from visiting major sites like the Big Ben, the London Eye and the British Museum, to visiting the Cheapflights and spending time in the EGA classrooms to experience a British school and to share insights about their own lives back in South Africa.
Whilst in London, they will stay with the families of EGA students in their own homes. Students were selected by firstly submitting an application form, followed by a motivation and outline as to why they wanted to be part of the exchange, and finally what they believed they would gain from the experience.
“The kids could barely sleep last night, they were so excited. They have been counting down this trip for the past few months, and I am so incredibly excited for them”, says Yondela Ndunya, one of the lead teachers at Ntafufu Senior Secondary School.”
“I am very excited to be going on a plane for the first time and to learn about a new culture. I am also looking forward to teaching the people there about the South African culture that I come from. I am nervous to go overseas for the first time but also excited to be doing something new”, says Chwayita Zethu Mkontwana, a 17-year old student from Ntafufu Senior Secondary School.
The students will be joined by two teachers at the school, who will also be seeing London for the first time.
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