Noosa District State High School staff and students spent three weeks in Borneo to participate in humanitarian project work during September, returning to the school early this month.
Projects participating students assisted with included concreting a community centre, rendering a toilet block for a sporting field, constructing a retaining wall, clearing some weeds from a reforestation project and assisting with the monitoring of some experimental plantations.
Organising NDSHS teacher Leigh Mackender said she was impressed with what the group, armed with buckets, shovels, wheelbarrows, machete, energy, resilience and a sense of humour achieved in three weeks.
Three remote rural villages were assisted by the NDSHS students, who did the school community and their country proud.
The students also took part in a challenging, five-day hike in 37-degree heat with 99 per cent humidity, trekking through ankle deep mud on steep slopes.
Year 10 student Tara Long said that going to Borneo was an amazing experience.
“It was very eye-opening, seeing a third world country for the first time was hard, but I think it has changed me. I made some amazing new friends and got to know other people better,” she said.
Miss Long said that some aspects of the trip were really tough.
“I struggled with homesickness a few times and the first day of the jungle trek was extremely hard both physically and mentally,” Miss Long said.
Ms Mackender said a life-changing mental and physical transformation took place in all the participants, teachers included.
“It was the most profound experience of my teaching career,” Ms Mackender said.
Ms Mackender publicly congratulated the students involved at the full school parade this week.
“To the students involved, congratulations, and to all the families and staff that fundraised and made this happen – be proud of the incredible resilience and strength of our students,” Ms Mackender said.
The NDSHS school community hopes to foster future humanitarian projects around the world.
