For pupils at Murray Park School, this year’s Schools in Kenya trip was far more than an ordinary school trip. It gave them the chance to experience a different culture, spend time in a completely new educational environment and make a difference to the communities they visited. 

The Schools in Kenya programme gives schools across Derby and Derbyshire the opportunity to take learning beyond the classroom, with pupils visiting partner schools in Nakuru, Kenya. Alongside contributing to projects within the schools, students are encouraged to step outside their comfort zone and develop new skills through an experience they are unlikely to encounter in their everyday school life.

For the Murray Park students, the Schools in Kenya 2026 experience began with adapting to life in the Kenyan schools. They got involved with the children, helped with construction work and tried traditional Kenyan food, with chapatis proving to be a particular favourite.

One of the highlights was an arts and crafts afternoon at Nakuru Grace. With fundraising support from Lawn Primary School, the students were able to buy paint, paintbrushes and paper so that every class could take part.

The Murray Park students were encouraged to come up with their own ideas and lead the activities with the children. They created handprints, flags of the world, animals and rainbows, with every child in the school given the opportunity to get involved.

For Daisy, Events and Partnerships Officer at Derby County Community Trust, seeing the students take ownership of the afternoon was a particularly memorable part of the trip.

“What made me so proud was that each student came up with their own ideas for what to do with the children and they carried them out with maturity and confidence. Every child in the school had the opportunity to paint, which may have been something they had never experienced before.”

Football also provided a memorable moment at Mercy Njeri. On the final day of the trip, the Kenyan pupils and Murray Park students organised a match against each other. It quickly became much more than a casual kickabout, with managers, captains, positions, formations, a referee and even cheerleaders all part of the occasion.

The match finished level at full-time before Murray Park won on penalties. For the pupils on both sides, the result was less important than the chance to play together and share something they enjoyed.

For one Murray Park student, the trip also became an opportunity to overcome a personal challenge.

The pupil had created activity books for younger children and was asked if he would take them into a classroom and lead a lesson using them. Initially, he didn’t feel confident enough to stand in front of a class and said no.

After some encouragement, he changed his mind. Just an hour after saying he didn’t feel comfortable doing it, he stood in front of a classroom and confidently worked through the activity book with the children, talking them through each page and helping them with the activities.

For the staff on the trip, watching that transformation was a particularly proud moment. What began as something he didn’t feel able to do became an experience where he took the lead and discovered a confidence he hadn’t realised he had.

The students’ contribution was also recognised by the schools they visited. The Headteachers and Directors at Nakuru Grace and Mercy Njeri praised the Murray Park students for their work and expressed how pleased they were to have them at the schools. Each student was also presented with a certificate at the end of their time there.

Moments like these demonstrate what makes Schools in Kenya such a valuable experience for pupils. They are given the chance to see a different way of life, meet children from another community and take on responsibilities that challenge them in ways a classroom cannot always provide.

For schools, the experience also provides an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to partner schools in Nakuru. Through the projects they support and the time they spend with pupils, students can see the impact of their efforts first-hand.

As one Murray Park student said: “This was the best trip I’ve ever been on and without Daisy or Emma it never would’ve happened so thank you.”

Daisy, Events and Partnerships Officer, and Emma, Events and Partnerships Manager at Derby County Community Trust, oversee the Schools in Kenya trips as part of the Trust’s Events and Partnerships team.

Schools in Kenya was introduced to Derby and Derbyshire’s school communities in 2025, when three schools took part in the inaugural trip. It builds on the Trust’s Rams in Kenya programme, which has been running since 2012 and is facilitated by African Adventures.

For the students who travelled this year, the memories and experiences created in Kenya will stay with them long after they return home. For another school, the next trip could offer its pupils the same opportunity to learn beyond the classroom and make a difference along the way.

Could your school be part of the next Schools in Kenya trip?

Find out more about the experience and register your school’s interest here: https://derbycountycommunitytrust.com/support-us/schools-in-kenya