Katie Haldane - My Cape Town Experience

Before I write a mile long paragraph about my absolutely mind blowing Cape Town experience, I just want to say: there are literally no words that can express how hard-hitting and life changing this trip has been, but I am obliged to try and find some......!

First of all, each and every one of the people that I have spent the last 10 days with are unexplainably amazing. The 14 other Captoniants have become family to me. I couldn't have wished for better people to enjoy this experience with, they made it fun and extremely emotional! Second of all, Boothy, Airlie and Murdy genuinely blew me away with their enthusiasm, humour and shape cutting! Everything I have done in the past 10 days, (which has been A LOT) I have done with these people. It is literally impossible to explain how attached I feel to these people after spending every waking moment with them for so long. I have done so many incredible things and been on so many wonderful adventures, and to share these experiences with the team has made them even better. I have done things -such as abseil table mountain, go on safari and go whale watching- that hardly any other 15 year olds can say they have done, and it makes me feel unimaginably thankful to have been given this opportunity. 

The best part of this trip has undoubtedly been visiting Welcome Primary and the Langa Township. The kids at Welcome have literally changed my life through their attitude towards their own lives. To see children who live in poverty be so happy about what little they have has done absolutely unexplainable things to my own attitude towards life. It honestly boggles my mind trying to find words to describe these kids and their teachers! Saying goodbye to them has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, I have never cried so much in my life! 3 days is all it took to become so attached to the Welcome Primary kids, but I know that they will always be in my heart! 

The township tour was crazy. We visited houses, smaller than my bedroom, where families of 12 stayed. We got a real look into what poverty is and how it effects people. The day in the Langa Township changed my outlook on life.

Now for McGuck. He is the man responsible for all of this emotion evoked in all of us! I don't think it's possible to thank him enough for this entire experience, if it wasn't for him none of us would be here. He's the king of sarcasm and the emperor ant, but he also happens to be the most inspiring person I've met. It sounds beyond cheesy but I can't put into words everything that McGuck and the rest of the team have done for me. I have had the time of my life and it's all down to Guckin, so thankyou! 

Finally, Mario. What a man he is. Him an his wife Michelle are the most selfless people I have ever met. Together they do the most incredible things for their community, and I am honoured to have played a part in helping them make a difference. They taught me to stay strong and never, ever give up on yourself or others. Their kindness amazed me, and their love for all of us blew me away. I can't thank them both enough for letting me be a part of their lives. 

So there you have it, a summary of how Cape Town has been for me. I still don't think that anything I wrote manages to express what this trip has been like. Every single part of it has been wonderful, from abseiling, to whale watching, to absolutely brilliANT bus banter. Cape Town has truly become a piece of me that I will never forget. 

Thankyou capetoniANTS. Thankyou Boothy, Murdy and Airlie. Thankyou Mario, and from the bottom of my heart, thankyou McGuck for taking us home, driving all night and keeping us warm........your work has changed my life. 

#nts 
Katie Haldane

Jacob Beckett - My Cape Town Experience

Cape Town is an amazing place filled with excitement and wonder. In my short stay I've experienced a heap of new and interesting things. The weather has been great and everyone is so happy and friendly. I've seen many amazing sights and have been shocked by others. 

Table mountain is a wondrous place and it really  feels like your on top of the world. Abseiling off of it is a lifetime experience in itself. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity. 

Langa township was a life changing experience. The contrast in wealth is utterly shocking. I saw where people lived and what people do to survive. Amazingly, despite having practically nothing people were still happy and positive.

Welcome primary was well, welcoming. The staff and pupils were brilliant. The pupils were so excited to meet us and when we arrived we were met with a fantastic assembly which demonstrated some of the pupils talents. Teaching was both challenging and rewarding. The pupils were so engaging with everything we taught. Of course saying goodbye was hard and several bucket loads of tears were shed  by the group. However I saw what a link can do to a school and I'm looking forward to both continuing the link and working with Mario and the GCU to support and improve the local community. 

I'd like to thank Mr McGuckin, the other teachers, my amazing group, Mario and the fantastic Welcome school for making my once in a life time experience to Cape Town both possible and awesome. 

- Jacob 
#BBB

Daniel Campbell - My Cape Town Experience

Where to start? Well I'd like to thank Mr McGuckin for allowing me to come and experience the sights, sounds and emotions of Cape Town, South Africa. I'd also like to thank Mr Booth, Mrs Murdoch and Mr Airlie. Before this trip I had never spoken to these teachers but now, after this trip, I feel I can talk to them as friends. Lastly I'd like to thank the 14 other pupils who came on the trip who have made me laugh so many times. I couldn't have asked for a better group.

Now that I have experienced Cape Town I feel as though it was completely different to what I expected. 

When visiting the township I was completely shocked at what I saw. It shocked me when I heard that 3 families have to live in one tiny room with only one bed for each family. It made me realise that the we take so much for granted, while these people have hardly anything and still they are happy with their lives. 

When visiting Welcome Primary School I was shocked to see how little the school has in equipment and yet these children took us into their school and treated us as family. I was really grateful for this and I enjoyed every second of it. After teaching the kids and getting to know them I would happily come back to the school and do it all over again. 

The sights of Scotland are nowhere close to the sights in South Africa. From Cape Point to Robben Island, I enjoyed every moment. The greatest part of these sights was undoubtedly abseiling off of Table Mountain, seeing Cape Town in all its amazing beauty.

In conclusion, I again would like to thank Mr McGuckin for setting up this link and allowing me to come on this trip. I feel I have changed over this trip. As Mrs Murdoch said its only the beginning and I am more than happy to continue to develop the link. I am also more than happy to return to this amazing place.

-Daniel 

#TeamBlue #NTS

Craig Stevenson - My Cape Town Experience

As I woke this morning, I couldn't believe that today was our last full day in day Cape Town. This trip has been the best 10 days of my life and I personally think it has changed me for the better. 

Even if my trip didn't start out the best, with a few days of bringing up whatever African food I ate, leaving my mark in a few places, the experiences and things I have seen often shocked me, surprised me and mostly always made me realised how lucky I am in my own life. Seeing kids who live in the townships asking politely for our clean water which we bought for next to nothing hit me the most. Not because of their desperate need for water, even though i find this ridiculous and shocking, but the fact that they were asking, and not stealing or grabbing it off us. They were so grateful for us being there and bringing tourism to their townships. 

I feel very privileged to be one of the first people to be involved with Welcome Primary and be able to start the link with this fantastic school. Every single one of the pupils and staff at the school motivates me to do more to help them continue to improve their resources and bring greater opportunities for all of the pupils of Welcome Primary. 

I can't believe the amount of things we have achieved these last 10 days and it definitely makes all the early starts and late nights worth it! 
I hope to go back to Scotland and appreciate my life and the amazing people that surround me even more. I will never forget my experience in South Africa and the inspirational people I have met and worked with. 

Thank you once again to Mr McGuckin, Mr Booth, Mr Airlie and Mrs Murdoch for making this trip a special one and looking after us all! I hope we've made you proud! 
I'd also like to thank everyone in TEAM BLUE for making these 12 days so much more special and banterous. The bus journeys, meal times and general banter around CapeTown has been a highlight of my trip here and I'd like to thank everyone for making it so special! 

Craig Stevenson, Group 2, Team Blue! 
#T.I.A #BBB 

"You don't need a holiday, you need CapeTown"