Eighteen hours in ‘The Beast’ was just the start.

A colossal bus ride through the uneven roads of southern Africa is not what most students would think of when they ponder experiential learning at Brock University. However, on the Brock Abroad: Namibia program, 18 hours in the all-terrain ‘beast’ bus was just the beginning of what would prove to be a life-changing experience.

Launched in 2007, the annual Africa journey is one of several experiential learning programs offered by Brock International Services, in which participants learn about local academics, business and culture, while participating in a variety of activities and workshops.

‘The Beast,’ a vehicle from Wadadee Guest House, took the team everywhere, including an 18-hour drive from Cape Town, South Africa, to Windhoek, Namibia.

This spring, 21 Brock students and their co-leaders flew out on April 26 for a month-long odyssey that began in Cape Town, South Africa.  While there, the group visited Robben Island — where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned before the fall of apartheid — and learned more about the townships that surround the city. The group also spent time learning about the fight to end apartheid, and the unique struggle Namibia faced in gaining its independence.

From Cape Town, the students boarded ‘The Beast’ for the 1,400-kilometre bus ride to the Namibian capital, Windhoek, where they participated in a wide array of hands-on experiential opportunities.

One of the program’s goals is to have participants identify and understand the challenges and opportunities faced in the host community, and how they relate to communities in Canada.

“It’s through the vehicle of volunteering, visiting important cultural sites and museums, and speaking with local community partners that participants learn,” said Christina Bosilo, co-leader of the trip and manager of international learning programs in Brock International Services.

The students met this important goal by working alongside several local organizations, including the Bernard Nordkamp Centre (BNC) in Katutura, which provides after-school programming for local children. At the BNC the team provided leadership training for older children as well as wellness-based activities for younger participants.

But Child and Youth Studies student Madeline Pontone was quick to point out that the important lessons being learned were not exclusive to the youngsters in the classroom.

“Getting to live and volunteer in the community of Katutura provided a level of immersion that fostered deep reflection and learning, something that is difficult to achieve at home,” she said.

For Janet Westbury, experiential education co-ordinator for graduate programs in Brock’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences and the trip’s other co-leader, these pivotal interactions created the a unique legacy for those on the journey.

“It’s important that it’s not just about what we taught, but also what they taught us,” she said. “We learned from the leaders in the communities.”

The team also spent time painting local schools and took part in excursions which showed them the natural beauty of the country.

“The landscape, it’s stunning and ever-changing,” said Westbury. “You don’t want to miss anything outside the window. Namibia has a huge diversity in a relatively small package.”

From sandboarding in the dunes to taking the children from the BNC to a local giraffe sanctuary, the group experienced a huge cross-section of Namibia’s culture and landscape in a relatively short amount of time.

For Child and Youth Studies student Carley Kent, the well-rounded nature of the trip has been life changing.

“It may sound cliché,” she said, “but my experience in southwest Africa has forever changed me as a person.”

For Westbury, the month-long trip seemed to fly by, and all too quickly the team was on its way back to Canada — but not before they had grown in ways that seemed unimaginable before they set off.

“A co-curricular trip like this focuses on growing our students personally,” she said.

“Our whole team chose to be present in each moment of the trip, and for this reason they will come home with a new awareness of the day-to-day realities of those living on the other side of the world. But even more importantly, they will bring to Canada a full slate of invaluable lessons to share about the beautiful Namibian culture and hospitality that we were greeted with every day.”

To hear more about the Brock Abroad: Namibia Program there will be a lunch and learn panel event in the Thistle 253 e-classroom on Wednesday, June 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

If you have more questions about the program, or wish to attend the lunch and learn, e-mail studyabroad@brocku.ca