Students in Grade 9 have undertaken a community service project with a local farm that rescues abandoned animals.

First the students visited the Hof Naar farm near ICS and learned about their philosophy and how they look after the animals they rescue.

Then the students spent a weekend clearing a field that could be used to grow crops to aid the self-sufficiency of the farm. Having produce to sell puts money back into the farm and supports the rescued goats, chickens, horses, ducks and pigs that would otherwise have gone to slaughter.

The third stage of this project is to raise money for a duck pond that we hope to build with the help of some ICS Science teachers. The students learned that ducks must have water deep enough to wash their heads as this helps prevent infection.

The students have begun fundraising and will continue to do so by catering at a number of other school events. An extra skill they are gaining from this project is learning how to bake, using many ingredients from the farm.

Every year, students in Grade 9 are offered the chance of a Service & Personal Development trip. For the last few years, students have gone to Tanzania (see pictures below) to volunteer at two schools, meet local tribespeople to learn about their way of life, and see some of the country.

In March 2015 the trip went to Nepal: ICS students volunteered at the Shree Mangal Dvip School, which gives children from remote Himalayan villages an education they would not otherwise receive. They helped teach English and worked to turn an area of overgrown land into a vegetable garden where the school can grow maize and beans. Then they explored some of the countryside on a trek.

Before they go on these trips, our students learn some of the local language and run activities to raise funds to benefit the schools they visit.