A summer with a difference

Dominic and Hayden Vos are 19 year old twins, born in the Netherlands, with a Welsh mother and a Dutch father. At age 2 they set off to live and experience life in both Oman and France and returned to NL some 14 years later.

After having to study in English and French systems and languages, moving to a Dutch system at this age was a little too detrimental to their education, so they joined to Rijnlands International school in Oegstgeest to do their IB diplomas and this summer they will take on new adventures before they start their university. As part of restoring some positive faith in our young people, it was believed a good idea to share their choices so that other young people may follow and find something that can install good environmental knowledge, a zest for adventure and life challenges that will stay with them forever.

Hayden did his open water PADI certificate in Curaçao two summers ago and has been passionate about diving since he lived in Oman, so his choice of challenge before he sets off for Uni needed to involve protecting the ocean. Hayden will do his Advanced Open dive certificate when he arrives so he can spend his 4 week adventure on deeper dives at over 18 metres. For those who want to go into Marine Biology, just like Hayden, TRACC offers an option to do a Marine Science A-Level. You can find out more on: https://tracc.org

Next week, Dominic Vos will venture out for 3 months in Costa Rica, doing “an adventure with purpose.” You can choose to do expeditions in Borneo, South Africa, Kenya or Costa Rica and each country offers a mix of environmental, community and adventure challenges. Dominic will do a 260km trek through the mountains and rainforest for his adventure challenge, building a team with personal achievements, resilience and unforgettable memories.

At the online meeting. Dominic found out that there were around 20 young Dutch people going on the same expedition out of the 100 international venturers. They all met in Utrecht last week and no doubt will continue their friendships once they return. Find out more on: https://raleighinternational.org

These are just two examples of international organisations which can be incredibly rewarding for young people. With a world full of challenges it’s a great way to inspire the youth into helping us put it right!