BVC students venture across the world
BVC students have been talking of the ‘spectacular journey’ they made during the summer as part of a trip to Malaysia.
Organised as part of a World Challenge, the students travelled to Kuala Lumpar where they worked with Burmese refugees, in addition to trekking in the Cameron Highlands.
18 former year 11 students took part in the trip, accompanied by teachers Jude Shortt and Rachel Ward.
With a population of approximately 1.5 million, Kuala Lumpar is a melting pot of Malaysian, Chinese and Indian Cultures and the Bassingbourn group spent their time working in a school which caters for children up to the age of eighteen who are Burmese refugees; some of whom are orphans.
Teacher Jude Shortt said: “It was a truly life changing experience for the whole team. The students worked so hard to make a lasting impact on the lives of this school community and should be so proud of their achievements which left a lasting footprint of their visit.”
For their trek in the Cameron Highlands, complete with tea plantations and rainforests, the students were responsible for sourcing their own transport and accommodation as well as planning the trek itself. Their resilience and determination was rewarded with a White Water Rafting experience on the Kampar River – a journey punctuated by laughter and wetness!
Student Katie Myerscough said: “It was definitely a rewarding experience. From learning to budget to valuing my life back home, it changed my perspective on the way I live and strengthened my belief in my abilities.
“The Cameron HIghlands were a particularly memorable experience, as we were able to explore virgin rainforest that gave each one of us a very immersive view of the extensive wildlife and vegetation that Malaysia had to offer.
Student Tom Nussey added: “The high point of the trip was spending time with the large group of Burmese refugees, of varying ages – from 6 to 70, during our stay in Kuala Lumpur. We spent several days teaching the children. We each had our own class and were tasked with delivering a structured set of lessons, which proved to be both rewarding for us and useful for the children involved. It was useful to talk to people our age from a completely different culture.”
Fundraising for the trip took place over two years with the students raising the cash through car washing, babysitting, bag packing at Tesco, waitressing, quiz nights, stall at village fairs, odd jobs … and even selling prized possessions on ebay.
