When I received the letter of acceptance to attend the Global Vision International conservation programme as a National Scholar, I did not have any idea where Shimoni is or what I would find there. Well I was going to find out through the predictably unconventional three months stay. I was received at the bus stop and introduced to some of the greatest people who exhibited childlike enthusiasm that was so infectious.

In my endless to-do list as a conservationist that I’m still trying to figure out, I got a chance to participate in a unique experience characterized by adventure and learning– one that I had been yearning for. Looking back at how I got accepted to join the Global vision International expedition, I get stack at the mystery that it was. I cannot begin to explain how I managed to make the management wait for yet two more weeks because I was not yet through with my final exams.

I must give it to the team for not overlooking and taking anything for granted. One is given a thorough orientation from the safety, health, culture and interaction aspects. Many are times when these things are seen as irrelevant but after going through this fitting in came with ease. The orientation helps one manage a wide range of challenges that come with sharing accommodation with different personalities from all over the world. The difference was its strong hold, it emblazoned the stay with different cultures and depositories of history. Among the culture present were of European origin, Asian, African, American and Black American decent. They brought with them a string of weird games and instruments that made one see life beyond social media and digital gadgets. Every time we would go out into the field, we would come back looking forward to watching fellows competing on one thing or the other

Some of the things that National Scholars like me gained from this experience were the capacity to run a programme and the ability to participate in decision making. A duty schedule was prepared every week that gave each participant a chance to head a certain task, which meant with power came great responsibility. Every other member would be waiting to see how you perform the task and it would make one try his level best to impress the fellow team members who would not hide their delight or disappointment. It was a great platform to exercise decision making which gave indecisive phlegmatics like me a backbone. This is even before one got fast hand training from the various programme officers with their field staff that made sure one mastered the required technique both theoretically and practically.

A day’s work was rounded up with a debrief that was as short and crucial as this article. No one knows how grateful and baked I became. My prayer is this article gives a hint on that.