When Jamie from our social media team tagged along with a teen group in Kenya, we expected some nice footage. What we got was a video of pure disbelief.
“I do social media for GoEco and I hopped along a teen tour and we hard launched Africa.”
It was Jamie’s first time in Africa, and the group was on our Climate Change & Wildlife for Teenagers program, a two-week trip for 15 to 17 year olds based in Nakuru, in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. She came to document their trip. Day one turned her into a fan.
Gazelles, zebras, giraffes, and that was just the start
The group spent the day out on the water in a boat, then on foot through open grassland, with wildlife wandering past at every turn.
“Like, we saw gazelles, zebras, giraffes.”
The footage backs her up. Zebras close enough to count the stripes, giraffes between the acacias, waterbuck on the lakeshore, and a hippo surfacing in the water. Not a bad first day at the office.
After all that, the group headed back to the volunteer house for dinner together. Shared meals at the end of a long day are a big part of how a group of strangers turns into a group of friends on these trips.
“I wish I did this when I was their age”
The line that stuck with us most wasn’t about the animals. It was about the teens.
“All of these teens doing this tour, which is so life-changing. I wish I did this when I was their age.”
That’s coming from someone who works in travel content, so she’s seen a few trips. Watching 15 to 17 year olds take on Africa for the first time, with new friends and a lot of open sky, clearly hit differently.
Jamie’s caption that night said the rest:
“ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME?! One day!!!!!!???? I am having the most incredible time!!!! Feeling so blessed. This week is wildlife and next is working at a local school! Can’t wait to share more of this adventure with you guys!!!”
One day in, and the exclamation marks were already running out.
More than a safari
The wildlife is the headline, but it’s only half the trip. Over two weeks, the program mixes conservation and community work, including:
- Supporting classrooms at local schools and kindergartens with reading, numeracy games, arts and sports
- Climate and sustainability workshops with local youth
- Wildlife monitoring, tree planting and removing invasive plant species
- A Maasai cultural day with dance, beadwork and storytelling
- Safaris around Lake Nakuru and a boat ride on Lake Naivasha
The teens stay together in a shared volunteer house in a secure gated community, with three meals a day and designated support staff with the group throughout.
Don’t wait until you’re “wishing you did this at their age”
If you’ve got a teen who’d love a school holiday that’s more than a beach and a phone screen, the Climate Change & Wildlife for Teenagers program in Kenya is a pretty good place to start.
Get in touch with our team and we’ll walk you through the program, the support in place for teens, and whether it’s the right fit. And follow along, because as Jamie put it: “Oh by the way, this is just the first day. Stay tuned!”
