Kembu Camping for Year 6

In the course of Term 1, Year 6s were privileged to visit Kembu farm located in Njoro – just outside Nakuru town. Kembu is a perfect place from which to explore the Rift Valley, with its rambling gardens set out in picturesque, secure grounds on a working farm. 

This trip is imbued with a variety of fun and educational activities which our students benefited from. They kicked off their trip with the following activities:

On the farm activities:

Archery – the farm provided bows for drills. Students were guided on how to use the bow to master its potential.

Walks on the farm / farm tours – as the students moved around the farm they were able to see horses, dairy herds, calves, chickens and chameleons. They were able to appreciate the contribution of the animals to the ecosystem at Kembu farm.

Orienteering -  the students were provided with Kembu farm maps and given tasks to look for various items around the farm working in groups (with the supervision of an adult for safety). At the end of the activities students were able to embrace a variety of navigation skills.

Obstacle course activity – students were placed in teams and subjected to rigorous activities which helped them promote their wellness and team working skills.

Kenana knitters - our students were taken round the small industry at the farm an initiative borne by the local women to boost their livelihood. They were able to see how wool is sheared from a sheep and refined into strings which end up making products like bags, teddy bears, table cloths, etc.

Evening activities:

Camp fires were built up and students sat around to listen to exciting stories of the farm. From afar sounds of birds and the coolness of the night helped keep the students alert.

Outside the farm activities (hiking): The following morning after spending a night at the farm, the students were dropped off at the base of Kiplombe, a dormant volcano, for their hiking activities. The rangers for the trip orientated the students and reminded them what they needed to do to be safe. They then started the ascent of Kiplombe, seeing how deforestation had caused soil degradation as well as the hydrology of the mountain. They stopped in the crater for a lunch break before exiting the crater on the walk down to their start point where the students hydrated with a soda. Along the hike, they learned about various plants which have medicinal values, for example, datura, aloe vera and leleshwa plants. The Kembu trip provided our students with a plethora of learning opportunities. They emerged from the trip with a burning desire to conserve our environment having seen the impact of human activities on water catchment areas. It dawned on every student that we all need to play a role in protecting our environment for future generations.