- Ten complete strangers head off to Kenya to transform a run down school. In just ten days they discover more than the joy of giving back to humanity, they rediscover themselves.
- Narrated by Sir Richard Branson, the documentary is stylized and observational with an internal narrative built through intimate portrayals of 10 European volunteers who volunteer to help rebuild a school. Through the children in this abandoned school and their families we see a human side of the Masai and the troubles its people face. The beauty of nature, the joy, the pain, the hope of the volunteers as well as the community they are there to help. This is a documentary about hope and what a small group of people can do in little time and how that can have a lasting effect and can not only help change the lives of others of but also change their own lives forever.—Debe Scott
- The Sekenani Primary School project, situated 100 miles from the main gateway to the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya . Virgin United, the charity arm of Virgin Atlantic, asked for volunteers from among their Flying Club Card holders. Thousands applied, but only ten were chosen a each had to raise £2000 to go on the project and help rebuild the school.
They arrive at Heathrow in high spirits and their twelve day adventure to help a community reach for the future begins. For the next 10 days the volunteers, who collectively contributed over £34,000 from sponsorship and donations to the project ( plus an additional 34,000 from Virgin Unite ), get up at 6:30 am to put their DIY skills to the test by building and decorating separate boys and girls dormitories, shower and toilet blocks, play areas, a kitchen garden, a solar water pump system and solar powered lights for the school. Sir Richard Branson joining over 600 community members and school children and VIPs at the opening ceremony at the Sekenani Primary School. Kenyas Education Minister also comes to meet the party and pledges One Million Kenyan Shillings to the school.
Day 1 - Meet our ten volunteers. We find out a little about each of them before they meet for the first time at London Heathrow. After check- Everyone is friendly and in high spirits. The vibe on the plane is like being at a school reunion, Little do our volunteers know of the great task ahead of them.
Day 2 - After a brief stop at Nairobi airport the group fly straight to the Masai Mara, better known as new wonder of the world. No place on earth has seen such mass movement of beasts referred to as the Great Migration. With their wild instincts millions of wilder beasts, zebras and gazelles move across an expanse covering 10,000 square miles every year in search of fresh grass and water. As our volunteers are ushered straight to the school, we see an army of blue and white uniform clad children charging towards them: can this group of foreigners rescue them by enhancing a large part of their livelihood their school? The Headmaster shows the group around the school; its deserted and desolated. Most of the children board at the school, yet have no beds; they sleep on the floor. The whole site has one tap (with very low pressure) which supplies water for everything: cooking, bathing and drinking. The shell of two dormitories have already been installed and built. Now to make them habitable.
Day 3 to 5 - Wake up call is at 6.15, breakfast 7am and then at the school by 8am. Our volunteers work, work, work and back to their tents by 8pm. Some of the volunteers focus on developing the vegetable garden and painting murals on the dormitory walls, while others build walls and install solar panels. The schedule is grueling: this is no summer safari holiday.
Day 6 - Whilst working on the vegetable patch, two of the volunteers befriend Peninah (approx.18 years old), one of the first girls to graduate from the school. She has completed her secondary education, but is employed in the school to do odd jobs as she cannot afford further education. Her dream is to become a tour guide for the region. Our volunteers decide to sponsor her and secretly visit the local school of tourism, a scenic yet dangerous ride.
Peninah is thrilled about her sponsorship and she cries tears of joy. From now on, her life has changed forever. Upon their return more work and then finally all is done. Our volunteers wish they could stay an extra week, month or maybe even year, they want to do so much more. Back at the game camp, the press swarm the group. That evening a bush dinner has been arranged. Before dinner all meet at reception where they are transformed into Masais (bedecked in traditional dress). Great fun is had by all out in the reserve, as our volunteers are entertained by traditional Masai dancing, which involves a lot of jumping (the highest jumper gets the girl).
Day 7 & 8 Start of the Press Weekend & Sir Richard Branson The Big day finally arrives - the opening of the school dormitories. Everyone heads to the school for the opening in a convoy of 12 Jeeps. As they arrive the children are all seated outside, a stage has been set up and a ribbon has been put in place to be cut. Sir Richard Branson gives the opening speech and cuts the rope. All enjoy a tea party before traditional dancing and performances by the children. A poem titled Girl Child is read and brings tears to all tears of hope. With Kenya now back on track after its recent troubles, it feels like a double celebration.
Day 9 & 10 Our volunteers head back to Nairobi somewhat Exhausted from the hard work, yet exhilarated from all the people they have meet and all the work theyve achieved. After meeting the Kenyan Rugby Team, our ten volunteers attend the official press party for Virgin Atlantic. They meet high profile people such as the chief of protocol officer to the Prime Minister of Kenya and other socialites of Kenya. The atmosphere at the party is electrifying and so much fun. They dance till dawn, before taking their flight back to what feels like a distant place called London.
We meet up with our ten volunteers, individually, in their home environments, and find out where they are now and how the experience has changed them forever.
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