Tedeschi’s Trip to Africa is a
Learning Experience
Camille Tedeschi loves to travel. The veteran Huntington High School social studies teacher walked on several different continents this past summer, including a fascinating trip to southern Africa.
Ms. Tedeschi helped lead treks for students through EF Tours to Belize, Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria and France and then went on a final personal journey in August. “It is already established how much I love to travel, but my last trip was a new experience for me,” she said about the excursion to Africa. “I learned so much in the three weeks I spent on tour.”
The trip marked the first time the longtime high school teacher has been to Africa, but “after my first visit, I am addicted,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “I am passionate about teaching and learning and this trip only made me more excited to get back to the classroom and share my knowledge with my colleagues and students. I learned about events in history that are not mentioned in textbooks and I also learned about people and events in perspectives that are much different from the versions we are taught in school.”
Ms. Tedeschi visited South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Botswana. “These places were like no other place I have ever visited before,” she said. “I am already looking forward to future trips to Kenya and Tanzania for more safari drives and to the Congo to visit the gorillas.”
The recent tour included stops in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Swaziland, Kruger, Soweto, Pretoria, Victoria Falls and Chobe. “I was able to spend time in many national parks and did numerous game drives,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “I saw all of the big five animals [elephant, rhino, leopard, lion and water buffalo] and more. I stayed on lodges where animals would just roam freely and was able to appreciate nature and all that it has to offer. I rode an elephant and was able to pet a cheetah.”
While visiting Cape Town Ms. Tedeschi learned more about the history and practice of apartheid and was able to visit shantytowns and speak with South Africans who lived under the infamous racial segregation policy.
“Cape Town is indeed one of the world’s most unique cities,” Ms. Tedeschi said. I visited the oldest black township in South Africa (Langa) and saw firsthand how Nelson Mandela truly saved the country from a civil war and turning into another Somalia or Rwanda. Nelson Mandela preached, ‘forgive in order to be free,’ and the people support and believe what he said. He is a savior in their eyes even though he had a violent past. Mr. Mandela changed as he served his time in prison and when he came out he changed the masses and their thoughts.”
Ms. Tedeschi said she “had chills” when she stood in the courtroom where Mr. Mandela was put on trial and later when she stood in his jail cell. “After that I went to the hospital where he has been a patient and saw all of the cards and flowers that the people continue to place there in hope of his recovery,” the Huntington teacher said. “History came alive for me that day and almost every other day I was on tour.”
In Zululand Ms. Tedeschi spent the day with members of the Zulu tribe in Damazulu Village. “I was able to experience the everyday life of the Zulu tribe, which is renowned for its warrior culture,” she said. “I witnessed customs such as tribal dancing and spear-making.”
In Cape Point the Huntington teacher visited the Cape of Good Hope and stood at the southernmost point of Africa. “This day made me excited to come back to school and teach my unit on the Age of Exploration,” Ms. Tedeschi said.
The veteran educator hiked in the Blyde River Canyon and visited an area known as Bourke’s Luck Pot Holes, a place of African legend containing bizarre holes cut into rock by powerful river erosion.
“When I visited Pretoria I went to the Fortrekker Monument and my guide provided me with a much more in depth understanding of the British in South Africa and the role of the Zulus and the farmers during the Boer Wars,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “It is the largest monument in Africa.”
While Ms. Tedeschi found the rich history of Africa to be fascinating, “there is nothing like being on a safari,” she said. “I went on about eight safaris, including game drives in Hluhluwe, Kruger National Park and Chobe National Park.”
Ms. Tedeschi went on a cruise down the Zambezi River, marveling at the vegetation on the banks along the way. She even had a view of a spectacular sunset. “Chobe boasts one of the largest populations of elephants in the world along with lions, hippos and zebras,” she said.
In Victoria Falls, which some refer to as the Eighth Wonder of the World, Ms. Tedeschi hiked in the national park and later lifted off for a helicopter ride to view the falls.
Being the dedicated teacher that she is, Ms. Tedeschi set aside time for school visits in South Africa. “They go to school year round,” she said. She even enjoyed a performance given by a high school choir and took delight in meeting its members.
“This district focuses on getting kids off the streets in the poor neighborhoods and promoting education,” Ms. Tedeschi said about the school system she visited. “They take anyone in and teach them life skills to help break the cycle of poverty. The choir group travels around to earn money to keep going to school. One of their philosophies they actively promote is ‘education is not preparation for life itself; education is life.’”
Now safely back in the United States and her second floor classroom at Huntington High School, Ms. Tedeschi is already planning her next international trip. She can’t wait.