Quest Africa, Esigodini - Zimbabwe

27/06/2024

As we look back on the last 6 months, we’re amazed by the growth and integration our Questors have achieved across the 6 acumens - including the natural acumen.At the start of Quest , we saw them fully immerse themselves in projects like sustainable farming, wildlife conservation, and ecotourism. Through this hands-on work, our Questors gained a profound understanding of humanity’s interconnectedness with the natural world.
This holistic development is the true essence of our gap year programme - shaping well-rounded, adaptable leaders prepared to take on any challenge.

23/12/2023

🎄 Merry Christmas from Quest Africa Zim! 🎅

As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been a part of our journey in 2023. To the incredible Men's Core 2023, Mixed Core 2023, parents, partners, major contributors, and Quest Africa Alumni we extend our deepest thanks. Your support and involvement have been instrumental in making this year a resounding success!

We couldn't have achieved all that we did without your help, dedication, and belief in our mission. Together, we've witnessed incredible growth, unforgettable adventures, and endless moments of personal development. We are immensely proud of the achievements of our participants and the positive impact they have made on their lives and communities.

As we look ahead to the new year, we are filled with anticipation and excitement. The Men's Core 2024 program is just around the corner, starting in a mere month. We can't wait to embark on another thrilling year, filled with new challenges, opportunities, and growth.

Thank you once again for being a part of the Quest Africa Zim family. We wish you a joyful and peaceful Christmas, surrounded by loved ones. May the holiday season bring you warmth, laughter, and cherished memories. Here's to an incredible new year and all the fantastic experiences it holds!

With gratitude and anticipation,

Quest Africa Zim Team

30/06/2023

Healing with Horses Zimbabwe is a charity based in Zimbabwe, that works mostly with kids that have cerebral palsy through equine assisted services. The horses help the kids relax their muscles and teaches them the rhythm of walking. Over time their muscles strengthen which significantly increase the child’s chances of walking. If you want to help this great cause, please donate through the link below and put “Quest” in the reference section. Thank you very much!
https://mindthegap.givingfuel.com/healing-with-horses-zimbabwe?fbclid=PAAabrbR6vxk0pHnAY6BjK6-xbo8FbGR0Yp15VLvTgDo4H6JjV9jbjn0aLNwg_aem_ATaMbYe855b9ynbBJfvekFtmoA8zjPv31WBw_HVr5F5UU94pPNqNMqdNr7e-pYtUhIU

09/05/2023

This years Ironwill Charity Eco Challenge was an adventure to remember. From cycling to hiking, whilst navigating through the bush, the competition challenged the young men’s physical and mental barriers throughout three demanding days. The trip was an experience of a lifetime and will be one the Quest boys will never forget. The competition was tight and saw a few of our Quest teams battling for first position. Congratulations to Jethro Clowes and Benj Heathcote for winning the competition and thank you to for hosting such an awesome event.

28/01/2023

“There is no education like adversity” (Benjamin Disraeli - British PM)

Well done to Men’s Core 2023 for successfully completing ‘induction’ week. New friends, new habits, time in the African bush and confronting challenges. A great start to a life-shaping experience!

17/11/2022

Our Quest Core plus students had the opportunity to go to where they extended on their Natural knowledge learning different aspects of lodge management as well as how much work is required to becoming a professional guide.Thank you for providing the work experience for our students.📸

16/11/2022

Caption:

‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not a act but a habit.’ -Aristotle

Brutal preparation for the 486 km run using resistant bands and tyres, ensuring that the mixed core intake is ready to take on the trials ahead of the 21 km challenge, as well as any other physical endeavors.click on the link on our bio to help us achieve our goal.

07/04/2022

As the first term of the Quest Men’s course 2022 draws to a close, the guys watched the sun set over Quiet Waters and toasted to ‘new adventures’, while sharing memories and stories of their first 3 months.

With a group that includes residents of Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia, Australia, the UK and Germany, the diversity has made for a lively and open-minded dynamic where everyone has been challenged to think differently and embrace different perspectives. It is difficult to remember a group that has bonded quite so well in such a short time, which is a credit to the character of the group and their ability to empathise with others, control their emotions and work through challenges as a team.

They reflected on the challenges they have confronted and overcome, both as individuals and as a team; the new skills they have acquired, from vehicle mechanics, welding and public speaking, to cooking, video editing and scuba diving; the places they have seen, such as the Matopos, Lake Kariba, Chinoyi Caves and Farvic gold mine. And perhaps most importantly the friendships they have made.

The one area that requires little self reflection for them to see how far they’ve come relates to their physical abilities. The beauty of exercise is that, with discipline and hard work (and Mr M’s encouragement!), the results are tangible. Every single one of them should be rightly proud of the effort they have put in and consequently, every one has made extraordinary progress towards their personal goals.

As a member of staff it has been wonderful to see this group of young men grow; in confidence, skills, character and ambition. I detect a real sense of purpose where they are now determined to build on their new habits and make the most of their one life. It’s an absolute pleasure to see.

Well done all - have a fun and restful break - and we’ll see you soon for the next stage of the adventure!

Keith Reesby

01/01/2022

Happy New Year!

We hope you have an excellent year filled with lots of new experiences and adventures.

Make this your year to excel, achieve greatness and keep up that enduring "Quest for Life".

24/12/2021

Happy holidays to all past and future Questors.

We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year.

13/12/2021

Goodbyes are always sad, but, as we now bid fair well to the Mixed Core Questors we can look back on their journey with a sense of pride! We have watched them all grow in character and strive to become the best version of themselves throughout Quest.

We wish them every success in their future endeavours.

01/12/2021

What an experience! From starting in the afternoon to finishing in the afternoon the following day!

This was a venture of a lifetime for each of us Questors. It was a privilege to cycle a total of 435km for the Zimbabwean kids.

We wanted to do this cycle in order to support and aid the kids who desperately need help - especially funds for education.

Cycling into the wee hours of the morning with just the flashlight as your companion and the voice of the night keeping you awake, has taught us that every effort given to help another human being is never waisted.

Yet, in order for us to have completed this cycle, we all needed mental resillience. As much as our physical bodies where aching, our minds had to urge our bodies forward.Grit and resilience were the two key factors that allowed us to finish the cycle!

Why would five Questors have gone out of their comfort zone, sacrificed their bodies, and give off themselves to help others? Because of the realisation that another human being’s life is more significant than one own’s comfort. It is more honourable to give than to receive.

“We rise by lifting others”. - Robert Ingersoll

To donate to the cause, visit the link in our Bio
http://www.paynow.co.zw/diftk

30/11/2021

5 Questers, 435 kilometers, 1 cause... A formidable cycle for charity (live update).

We have taught our students to step out of their comfort zones, and they have embraced the lessons. Weary of doing the bare minimum, they are measuring the full distance that they are willing to travel on behalf of the causes they care deeply about.

Take part and support their efforts as they cycle from Bulawayo to Victoria falls, night and day, in the sun and rain.

To donate to the cause, visit www.paynow.co.zw/diftk

24/11/2021

“The act of fishing transports us to a special world and a state of mind where we are free.”

–Fennel Hadson

20/11/2021

An exciting and worthwhile morning spent learning survival skills. Questors = Survivalists!

16/11/2021

Mixed Core cooling off and unwinding after a hard physical session.

13/11/2021

Cycling from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls to raise Funds for underprivileged children!
Join us on this epic adventure as five Questors cycle out of their comfort zone to aid those in need.

We believe in the cause of helping people less privileged than oneself. That even something as small as a smile can go a long way, and we are cycling a long way! We want to invite you with us on this exceptional venture to go beyond the here and now - to help kids reach for the stars.

We are partnering with ‘Do it for the kids’ (DIFTK), a non-profit organization, to raise funds for their ‘Kids to School’ project. “DIFTK aims to bring together the Zimbabwean community in an effort to jointly alleviate the plight of the less fortunate community” – if you want to read more about DIFTK, who they are and what they do, simply click on the link: www.doit4thekidz.org

Anyone is welcome to complete their own version of the challenge (for the sake of fun). Simply post a photo of your route or you cycling on social media and tag Quest Africa, Esigodini - Zimbabwe and Do it for the Kids
The challenge is yours – together we can make a difference.

Any donation will go a long way, will change a life.
For international donations: www.paynow.co.zw/diftk
For Zimbabwean donations: go to the donate page on the DIFTK website (link above).

We as the Questors and DIFTK thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever waisted.” - Aesop

04/11/2021

Exploring, learning and enjoying.

All the exquisite landscapes in Zimbabwe provide a great destination for Questors to learn new skills and expand their knowledge.

26/10/2021

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”

Phil Jackson

22/10/2021

Last light after a hot, hard day in the Bubye Valley Conservancy.

18/10/2021

“As an architect, you design for the present, with an awareness of the past for a future which is essentially unknown” - Norman Foster

The Mixed Core Questors have been learning how to design and create new buildings that could improve a business or community long term.

10/10/2021

Mixed Questors pushing their comfort zones in the Matobo National Park

03/09/2021

Mixed Core 2021
Here follows an extract from a blog about the groups trip to Matopos. Written by Arabella Polkinghorne.

"The next morning, we had a 5am wake up and a steep but incredibly beautiful trek up one of the nearby mountains. The wind decided to blow especially hard that morning and some of us who barely reach 5ft had to lie down in order to prevent being blown off the mountain top. As the sun peaked its way through the hills ahead and vibrant and beautiful orange hues engulfed the space around us, we managed to capture some model catalogue worthy photographs of Tomu perched in all his glory on a rather aesthetic ledge.
Breakfast consisted of the remaining goodies in the pantry, rusks, oats and toast. Delectable combinations. Once satisfied we began day two of our cycle. This day was slightly longer and tougher terrain, however I think we all agree it was our favorite of the two rides. Thanks to a fallen tree and some impossibly slippery sand we were given some great entertainment as Adrian and Tomu went flying off their bikes. It’s still an ongoing debate on who had the manlier and more impressive fall. Why that is a competition, no one knows but I think we’d all agree that Adrian riding headfirst into a rather large and extremely visible tree trunk might take the winning spot, at least for the most entertaining fall."

10/08/2021

Quest Grand Challenge in Nyanga
By Callum King
1st August – 8th August 2021
After spending a more relaxing week at La Rochelle, it was finally time to head out to the mountains to begin the Grand Challenge. Every Quest boy has a number (1-25), this has led to a year-long competition between the even and odd numbers. The Grand Challenge was really the peak of the competition between the odds and evens.
The first day in the mountains was a long day of about 23/24km. Throughout the day we had a number of ‘Iron Will’ challenges to take pictures. One of the most memorable moments was when we had to swim in the pools above Pungwe falls and even though it wasn’t specified three of the four teams decided this had to be done naked, a freezing cold, but memorable, experience. After 8 hours of hiking every team made it to our campsite, or more our patch of grass in the middle of nowhere. It was a truly wild camping experience next to a flowing river in the foothills of Inyangani. Even though it was extremely cold during the night, everyone decided to leave the warmth of their tents and sleeping bags to appreciate the magnitude of stars exposed due to the lack of any light pollution.
Day two rocked up after a windy night in our valley campsite. Today was our day to summit Inyangani in our 6-man teams. It was roughly 10km to the true start of the mountain where we would meet our rangers before summiting. 8km to the top and back. Along the way we still had to complete our challenges for example finding a graffiti AK-47 in an abandoned homestead or climb to the top of a hill and take a picture next to the ancient fort. Unluckily for one of the odds team (James Mac, Josh, Marco, Devon, Jordan and Nico) they missed the old fort completely and ended up walking an extra 9km or so extra to go back for the picture. Everybody loved and appreciated the view from the top of Inyangani which is the highest point in Zimbabwe standing at 2599m. After all the challenges, a big congratulations to the evens team of Benni, Henry, Nick, Yisso, Sam and Tommy who finished the most points.
On the last day it was all about the 21km run back from our campsite at the bottom of Inyangani. Mr M had set a challenge to break the 2019 record of 1 hour 41 minutes and also to get more than 16 people in the intake to finish in under 2 hours. It was a spectacular running route and within 10 minutes we had a herd of wildebeest running alongside us. A massive congratulations should go out to Henry for running the half marathon in a record-breaking time of 1hr 39mins. Also breaking the 2019 record was Nico, James Mac and Callum K. Even more impressive and a testament to our training (Thank you Mr Mpofu) 16 people in the intake finished in under 2 hours and all 25 guys finished the half marathon. It was nice to have our effort rewarded and to be treated to a beer up in Rhodes Hotel that evening.
Overall everyone agreed this was one of the best adventures we have been on. We got to see a completely different environment within Zimbabwe.

24/05/2021

In these difficult times it can be hard to plan for the future. We can help you use this time as constructively as possible. Do something out of the ordinary to make you extraordinary with us at Quest Africa. Mixed Core 2021 commences July- book now there are a few remaining places available.

The Quest Africa programme was created to offer school leavers a well-rounded alternative to immediately pursuing a career or university education and is focused on character development.

21/05/2021

Iron Will is Here!
By Callum King

There was no doubt that on everyone’s mind was some aspect of Iron Will… winning for someone and making it to the finish line for others.
The start of the week was centred around preparation because, as all the Quest boys have learnt, ‘Poor Planning and Preparation leads to a P**s Poor Performance’. There was a flurry of last-minute minor bike maintenance and many trips to the tuck shop for emergency Iron Will rations. But in some circumstances, Iron Will rations lasted about as far as the walk back to Quest, not naming names… Kyle.
On Wednesday the time had finally come to depart for Iron Will. The journey up to Hippo Pools was split across 2 days arriving to christen the brand new dormitories at Hippo Pools by Thursday afternoon. Our first ever Iron Will briefing followed closely with a run-through of the rules and regulations as well as some very creative team names. Whilst packing our backpacks that evening it had dawned on us that the Iron Will Challenge had truly begun.
A bright and early wake-up and a big breakfast was the start of Iron Will, Day 1. The day consisted of a cycle in the morning then a hike to where we would be camping out that evening with a short (1 hour) lunch break in-between. The cycle went smoothly for the majority of teams however unfortunately Quest Hampshire (Alex and Callum K) suffered a puncture as well as a broken valve and consequently enjoyed an 8KM hike before the hike had even begun. In addition, Questionable Injuries (Callum H, Sean, and Mr J) team member, Mr J, suffered a not so questionable injury from a crash but soldiered through to the end of the cycle. You also can’t forget family Randle (Mr R on GPS) cycling straight past a checkpoint and having to cycle back. The hike was a strength for all teams with everyone deciding that as the crow flies is often the fastest way. Finishing the day in first with the fastest time as well as full points was ‘Questosterone and Toxic Masculinity’ (Josh and James Mac….:) ) a trend that would last all 3 days. A big shout out to Yisso and his helpful team ‘Questablished in 1888’ (Nick, Julian, Henry and Yisso) for making it through despite his tick bite fever.
After a questionable night sleep for most, Day 2 arrived, starting with a hike back to Hippo Pools. The 3 minute time intervals we left in led to a very competitive hike, the most competitive out of the lot being Mr M and his teammates in ‘Questionably Large’ (Nico, Kyle, Mike and Mr M). The cycle/carry bikes was the longer of the two disciplines today, with most teams setting out on the cycle around 10:30 am. I am pretty sure we carried/pushed our bikes for just as much as we cycled them today, going over much tough terrain. The tough terrain did take its toll on some teams… ‘Questapo’ (August, Benni, Flynn and Max) when Max’s front tyre came off completely but the team made it through in high spirits (ish) and arrived as the sun was beginning to set and just before the search party was about to go out.
The final day's format was slightly different to the other days, rather than a distance for a hike and cycle and first place with full points winning the day, we had a set time (4 hours 30 minutes) to get as many points as possible from the 3 activities; cycling, hiking, and teamwork. The cycle and hike were much easier than previous days but it was important to always watch your watch to make sure you weren’t going to be caught out and arrive late! The teamwork challenge aspect was a bit of fun and involved guiding your teammate while they were blindfolded through an obstacle course and completing a few other extra challenges. Even on the last day ‘Questosterone and Toxic Masculinity’ (Josh and James Mac) took full points and finished fastest completing a very dominant Iron Will showing.
In the evening on Sunday, we were treated to a braai down by the Mazowe river alongside prize giving. It had been a great event for every Quest Team and Jordan who, even though he couldn’t compete, greatly helped the race organisers! Josh and James Mac went up and collected their well-deserved trophy and enjoyed the spoils of victory, including a bag and flask. The evening ended perfectly with delicious food on the banks of the river, listening to the Hippos grunting and snorting in the water, a truly great way to end an epic experience.