I came to Rwanda to volunteer for Partners for Conservation with the aim of learning new skills and getting involved with the charity’s work. I spent 1 month here working with a primary school (Spes Nova Junior Academy) where I met dedicated teachers and some incredible students. At this school, I was involved in many environmental activities such as setting up a new environmental club, tree planting, developing the school garden, and constructing a rabbit hutch.

After 1 month, I was given the opportunity to teach in GS Ruhehe, a local secondary school. After an initial planning meeting that filled me with excitement, it was decided that as an environmental volunteer, I should teach subjects such as Biology and Geography to different year groups. I studied both subjects up to the age of 16 (when I completed my GCSEs) but didn’t continue them beyond this. This can make teaching the older students a little tricky, but it’s really interesting learning new things and having to understand them well enough to teach others. The teaching staff at Ruhehe have been so supportive and welcoming. They have really helped me to settle in quickly and helped me to get rid of any nerves straight away by involving me as much as they can in their busy schedules. The students have also been amazing; their level of English is incredible, as is their engagement with the lessons. I am the same age (if not younger) than the students in the oldest year, which definitely adds to the experience! I have learned so many skills during this experience, such as how to plan lessons and help students to understand different facts with limited resources. I have met so many new people and learned more about this region through interacting with them. This opportunity has been unforgettable.