Swahili Summer School 2015

Definitely apply for this if you are given the chance. For anybody who would usually shy away from opportunites like this, I'd strongly advise you to take this as a step out of your comfort zone, because it's an absolutely fantastic trip, filled with opportunities that you truly may not get for the rest of your life.

In terms of the language course itself, there is no more perfect setup for learning Swahili. You are welcomed warmly into the country by everybody you meet, are given the opportunity to practise your language skills on a daily basis and have a constant support system for any queries or questions. Something that hasn't been emphasised enough is how fantastic the balance of teaching is when you are over there. Personally, I have never had access to such a useful way of learning another language - usually you are either taught by a native speaker or an English speaker with a high level of knowledge of the language. Here, you have both AND the benefit of being surrounded by the language every day for a month. I think even those who struggle in picking up languages would do greatly here - the setup is faultless. We all returned speaking and understanding far much more than we thought we would! The word 'intensive' with regard to a language course can be a little intimidating, but Butiama is a brilliantly relaxing atmosphere to learn in, especially when you appreciate the history that surrounds you.

It would have been a brilliant trip even if we had to work 24/7 on our Swahili and do nothing else. However, the trip was packed with cultural activities that were even more amazing than we all knew they were going to be. As you'll have perhaps read on the summer school blog or in another of these reviews, we had activities such as clay pot making, visits to schools and African drumming and dancing during the week and trips away at the weekends. Highlights for me from the weekday activities were the walks/hikes around the local area and up nearby hills. There is something magical about looking up into the sky and not seeing commercial buildings or bright lights.
Another personal highlight for me was the trip to Rubondo Island - this was a place I hadn't heard of before our trip, but would recommend for anybody who has a chance, as it is absolutely stunning. The Serengeti safari of course cannot go unmentioned - it is again one of those things that I didn't think I'd have the opportunity to do for many years, but there it was for us, right there, simply because we had the confidence to apply for the programme.

The Swahili summer school course is nothing short of an adventure - you'll come back with a load of stories that it'll take weeks to tell, an appreciation of a culture that is so strikingly different to ours and an experience that'll last you a lifetime.

Huge thankyou to everyone involved in organising the trip - it was fantastic.