Beyond the Classroom: Eswatini 2026
While some students spent Spring Break catching up on sleep or shopping at malls, twenty of us traded the familiar for the extraordinary. This past Spring Break, our group travelled on a transformative two-week journey to Eswatini, nestled in the heart of South Africa.
Meeting Sipho and December was an easy way of telling that this would be a trip to remember. Their kindness and generosity made our odyssey even more memorable with iconic lines “Yessir” and “If not, why not?” Kiki A, Hope ‘28, comments, “Sipho and December were amazing guides for us, and I’m glad we got to meet them because they were funny and so welcoming.”
Visits to Milwane and Hlane National Parks were organized for us to have a chance of experiencing southern Africa flora and fauna. We went hiking on the Execution Rock, mountain biking, and horseback riding. During our free time, many of us learned card games for hours, and most of us would swim and play Marco Polo or do a relay swim race. Kelvin C, Rogers ‘27 says, “It was fun bonding with each other and playing lots of soccer.”
The work days were split into three different projects/sites. We rotated in groups to a high school, a pre-school, and a Gogo’s or “Grandma’s” house. Ms Cheung adds, “It truly provides the students with an opportunity to push themselves out of their comfort zone.” The work at each site was slightly different. At the high school, we built a computer lab and a house for a grandma who was raising five children on her own. At the pre-school, we helped paint the playground and the inside of the school - and we had some time to play with the kids!
Each site had different people helping out, and we met countless students our age and adults helping with the organization, Swazi Kids. While we were working, learning how to dance, playing games, or getting beaten at soccer, we built a sense of community with our new friends Sipho, December, Milton, and Simba. Ms Ramsay shares, “They formed real connections, worked hard, and saw both the challenges and the beauty of a different way of life. That kind of learning can’t happen in a classroom.”
Towards the end of the trip, we would stay at Kruger National Park, where we saw the Big Five animals of South Africa: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalo. It was an amazing way to wrap up the trip as we spent most of our time playing card games and looking through our binoculars during game drives!
The biggest takeaway from this trip was differentiating between items we need and what we simply want. Seeing the lifestyle, the simplicity, and joy in being present with the experience of being in Eswatini made this trip special.
To our trip advisors, thank you, Mr Robinson, Ms Cheung, Ms Ramsay, and our trip coordinator in Eswatini, Pam, for organizing this trip and making it possible for us to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Mr Robinson reflects, “The trip provides an opportunity to learn how we impact others and how they might impact us. It is an opportunity I wish I could give to every single Brentwood student.”
If you would like to learn more about Swazi Kids, check out their website!
Fiona C, Hope ‘26