PUBLISHED 19 October 2023
After hosting the Round Square International Conference (RSIC) 2022 last year in Oxford and at AKS, we were very much looking forward to visiting Brookhouse School in Nairobi, Kenya for the Round Square International Conference 2023. On the 7th October we began our journey to East Africa, and upon arrival we were greeted by an amazing sunrise across the Nairobi National Park as we drove to the school campus. Entering the campus we were overwhelmed by the open space, traditional African dances, and incredible hospitality that we received.
The first day had a relaxed atmosphere and as we struggled with travelling fatigue we were able to meet the students and staff from across the globe as we gathered in the amazing grounds of Brookhouse School. The opening ceremony saw the AKS flag raised among the collection of over 160 other Round Square Schools including Gordonstoun from Scottland, Hotchkiss USA, and Barker College Australia.
On the service day, students were tasked with renovating a number of schools in the local communities, helping students less fortunate to themselves. Many of the students found the work rewarding and gained a sense of achievement in what they were doing, they gained an insight into the lives of the children from Nairobi's poorest areas and saw real value in the purpose of Round Square.
The adventure day was an extraordinary experience for all of us, we witnessed the true essence of the wild with students capturing amazing footage of zebra, rhinos, lions (who got very close to the vehicles), hippos and much, much more. After spending a night camping in the Nairobi National Park we ventured back to Brookhouse for our democracy day. We were in awe of the keynote speakers in particular William Kamkwamba whose life story was adapted for the Netflix series 'The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind'.
The week was filled with making connections, friends for life, dancing, cultural experiences, service for the less fortunate, and above all adventure. The Round Square flag has been passed to four Round Square Schools in Columbia who are already underway in planning RSIC24 and we look forward to taking Year 12 students on this next adventure.