On Friday 15th July, fifteen students across year 11 and 12, and two teachers left the Potovens Lane-based academy to embark on the 7,000-mile journey to Borneo.

The trip which was organised in partnership with sustainable student travel experts, Camps International, was originally supposed to take place in 2020 but had been postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Camps International was founded in 2002 and now has camps in 16 countries located across East Africa, South East Asia and Latin America. All camps are built on community land, using local materials and employing local staff.

Students stayed at four different camps across Borneo throughout their trip, with a five day stay on the island of Mantanani. The trip that lasted 29 days saw the students taking part in a range of community projects, including facilitating English lessons for local children, helping with a village flood alleviation project, tree planting, a plastic recycling scheme and making furniture for a primary school.

There were also lots of other activities to take part in such as visiting a war memorial museum, traditional dance lessons, Batik painting sessions, a day at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre followed by a gruelling five-day jungle trek which concluded at a tea plantation.

One Year 11 student from the expedition group, Sophie, commented:

“Going to Borneo was honestly the best experience of my life. Everything that happened on the expedition helped me to learn either a new skill, or something about myself.

“The five-day jungle trek was the biggest challenge. It was really tough, but no matter how much of a struggle it was, I learnt to never underestimate my strength, determination and endurance. I'm so glad I accomplished it.

“The places we stayed weren't always glamorous but the project work, the beautiful animals we got to see and the activities we did in the month made it all worthwhile. I’d definitely recommend the expedition to other students”

A spokesperson for Camps International said:

“Our Borneo expedition gives students the chance to experience the rich cultural heritage of Borneo, with all of our camps based in areas that are home to different ethnicities, each with their own traditions that are still practised today.

“Travellers discover a totally different way of life in Borneo, living as part of a rural community and working together to create sustainable change.

“The heart of any Camps expedition is the project work, each aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and designed to make a significant and lasting impact on the region’s most critical issues. In Borneo, the teams take part in vital community infrastructure work throughout Sabah, as well as habitat protection and restoration in the Kinabatangan rainforest.”

Projects which are delivered across Camps International sites include, housing renovations, water procurement and conservation, construction of toilets and washing facilities and construction of libraries and learning facilities.