THE SIBFORDIAN 2018


the preceding weeks, the pressure of school work and exams gets in the way.


The anxiety at the start of an expedition exhibits itself in a variety of ways and this year was no exception. “You can’t make me do that”, “We can’t stay here!”, “I can’t do this.”


However, a few days in and the culture shock started to wear off and our challengers were using the toilets without grumbling ... even though they were inhabited by giant cockroaches or spiders! They were learning to embrace the cold water showers and getting used to sleeping under mosquito nets. They began to ask local people for help when they needed it and to find their own way to solve problems.


Our community project involved a few days of heavy labour


in hot and humid conditions. The first day was too much of a challenge for most of the team but on the second day the shock of the situation had turned into determination and work got well- underway.


Those that were not so physically strong found their niche and those that could, lifted, dug and carried. The challengers were self-motivated and although it


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was well outside of their comfort zone they got on and finished the task. They looked so happy when they stood beside ‘Sibford School 2018’ carved into the concrete path.


The start of this expedition was closely controlled by the adults to move things forwards. The challengers couldn’t even organise themselves to buy a drink from the roadside shack on the first day but by the end of the expedition the development in their independence was plainly obvious. Once the challengers started to realise that they were safe and that all they had to do to help themselves was to ask questions, they were able to find taxis in the local city bus station and order unidentified foods in local


restaurants, independently and without prompting.


For most of our challengers, this was a final school trip before heading off to University and it was such an invaluable experience to show them that the world is not as scary as they think it is and that, no matter where you are in the world, people are


people and we all have the same needs.


Climbing the mountain over two days was a great physical challenge for everybody but the self-determination and encouraging team dynamic meant that all but three of us reached the summit by dawn. It was a defining moment for everyone, an internal realisation that you can do anything if you put your mind to it: overcoming sickness, overcoming fear and that putting one foot in front of the other will move you forwards no matter how difficult it seems.


Don’t let anybody ever tell you that you can’t do something. You just need some belief and determination and you can achieve anything.


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