Gordonstoun Ethiopia Expedition

Twelve students from Gordonstoun School embarked on an expedition to Tigray in northern Ethiopia in June 2013. Their base was the remote village of Mydaero and their objective, to help install a new 1.5km water pipeline to the school where children currently have to bring their own drinking water from up to 10km away each day. On their arrival the team received an incredible welcome from the school and community.

They soon set to work, digging and then filling the 1.5km trench through hard and rocky ground. It was tough work – but long days were rewarded with evenings of traditional Tigrayan food and Ethiopian coffee, as well as a variety of fun and games with the school children, from origami to volleyball and even Scottish dancing.

Team member Ollie sums up his expedition memories: “Experiencing a culture so far removed from our own was a real eye opener, and certainly made us all appreciate the simplest of home comforts. From working alongside the locals, and seeing the joy on their faces when the project was completed, to the volleyball games with the local children and seeing rock-hewn churches atop mountains, the experiences we all gained from this incredible trip will certainly be staying with us.”

A more detailed report on the school’s website can be found here.

With thanks to Chris Ince for the photographs.

10.09.2013