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Tribune News Network DohaStudents from Qatar Academy Doha learned about world issues during a trip to Tanzania, where they met with local students to learn more about education, eco-tourism and the Maasai culture. It is the first time a primary school from Qatar Foundation (QF) has made an international trip, and organisers of the trip Hanifa Rahman, Homeroom Teacher, and Savannah Spillers, Curriculum Coordinator, from Qatar Academy Doha (QAD) – a school under QF’s Pre-University Education – were thankful the student’s families had put their trust in the school. “Both the children and their parents were out of their comfort zones during this trip, and really pushed their boundaries,” said Spillers. “None of the students who came on this trip had ever been to Africa, so it was a thrill that they all got to experience something they had never done before.” The 18 students, who were accompanied by chaperones from the school and several parents, visited schools run by Africa Amini Life, in Momello, which is built on Maasai land in Tanzania and run by the Maasai people. The students were welcomed with a traditional Maasai dance, and learned about the Maasai tribe and their culture through stories, an activity of spear throwing and arts and crafts. During their visit, students met with children from the local community at their primary and secondary schools to talk about the differences in their cultures, schools and how they learn, as well as do several activities together. One activity involved students from both QAD and Worseg Vision English Medium Academy primary schools creating artwork that resonated with each of them, showing both Maasai and Qatari heritage and lifestyles, as they discussed the differences and similarities between the two. The students from QAD left the paintings at Worseg, where they have already been hung in the classroom as a reminder of their trip. They also participated in a football match with a local football team that was started by a teenager to help the community, and shared t-shirts and school supplies they had brought from Qatar as gifts. The local students prepared a special traditional lunch for their visitors, which was eaten under the Africa Amini tree. Spillers was proud of how the students bonded with the Maasai people immediately, saying, “They were so energised and captivated by the Maasai culture and how they live so simply yet being completely self-sustained, recycling and growing their own foods, herding their own cattle – worlds apart from our lives in Qatar. The children were so respectful and the Maasai were so happy, it was fantastic.” Talking about what the trip meant to her, student Hind Al Mutawa said, “My overall experience was amazing. The highlight of my trip was visiting the school, as well as learning about the Maasai culture and seeing the difference between their living and ours.” The most important thing the students learned was about the Maasai’s eco-tourism, sustainability concepts and plastics initiative – even plastic bags are banned in Tanzania, which is something Qatar has recently announced. From beads for bracelets, to buttons, to the rulers they use in classrooms, there is no waste, and the QAD students were excited by the endless possibilities that type of sustainability could offer, discussing how they could implement it on their return to Qatar. The students also did a safari and game drive during a visit to Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera, and reflected on wildlife conservation and what they can do as individuals – and as a class – to help save the planet.
