Earlier this month, Raleigh International Bermuda’s latest group of Venturers were introduced at Government House.

Tiara Simmons, Kenneth Pearman, Shakira Jones, Nikita Smith, Tamesha Wolfe, Travonte Saunders, Eric Simmons, Shellvina Caines, Melvin Simons, Sadé Fox, Jamel Harvey and Tershae Webb have been selected as venturers and will be shipping off in coming months to perform good works in either Malaysia or Namibia.

Sir John and Lady Vereker are Raleigh patrons and host an evening reception at Government House each year for the new venturers.

Raleigh expeditions are important as they tend to force young people to draw on their inner strengths and talents, said Sir John.

“(Raleigh) takes them and puts them through something and brings them back with a better sense of their own value and worth,” he said. “Arranging that is a difficult thing because it takes lots of good people, generous sponsors and, above all, the kids themselves and their families to support them.

“So far it is looking very good. We have had two good years and the third one is looking very promising and we are delighted to be associated with it.”

Lady Vereker said she was sure that this would be an excellent group and she suggested that they take video footage of the expedition and then enter it into the Bermuda International Film Festival.

RIB executive director Kristin White said the participants were being prepared for their time abroad through a series of training sessions.

“They had a training session last week — a very wet and cold training programme,” she stressed.

“We worked with Outward Bound where they climbed the high ropes.

“Just watching them up there was making me sick.

“In April, they have another training session with the Bermuda Regiment.

“The training sessions help them to be physically and mentally prepared.”

New venturer Tamesha Wolfe said her first love is sports but she is looking forward to the Raleigh challenge as an opportunity to start over.

“I like trying new things and pushing myself to the limit and for this I think I will be able to,” said the young student, who attends The Centre.

“I am pushing myself for this and I am going to be able to do it, because either way I am not going back to the way I was.

“I will get back on my horse and keep riding.”

When asked how had she heard about the programme, she said that when CedarBridge Academy was closed down due to the mould infestation, the students had to go to the Bermuda College for lessons and RIB had paid a visit to the students.

“A few of last year’s venturers came to talk about it,” said Miss Wolfe. “When I first heard about it, I was like, ‘whoa’. So when I signed my name, I was going to see my counsellor everyday to ask whether the forms were in yet. And everyday she’d say ‘no’.”

But finally the forms came in and Miss Wolfe was right there.

“I got the forms done right away and handed them back in. For me it is like life starting over. I will journey to remember.”

Meanwhile, Melvin Simons said he was most looking forward to learning new things. He became involved with the programme through two counsellors at the Somerset Community Centre.

“Gerald Fubler and Kevin Hughes told me to just go for it and learn something new,” said Mr. Simons.

“I am really excited,” he said. “I’d like to go to Malaysia, because I like rock climbing.”

CedarBridge Academy student Travonte Saunders said she became inspired about Raleigh after her cousin, Alana Burchell, participated in RIB 2006.

“She was spoiled, I must admit, but this experience told her not to take life for granted,” she said. “I am looking forward to doing something else other than being a spoiled brat all the time.”

Eric Simmons, a Berkeley Institute student, said he first heard about RIB through a school guidance counsellor who told him that it would not only be a good life experience, but he would also get to help someone other than himself.

When asked if he had a preference as to which country he wanted to go to, Mr. Simmons said: “Africa, I’d like to be help out all of the children. “I think it would be a good experience there.”

Based on the experiences of former venturers, the students may find themselves changed by their time abroad.

Former venturer Levon Swan said Raleigh really changed his perspective.

“The experience helped me to mature and if I was here, I would have been running around doing a pack,” he said.

“When I came back, I decided that I wasn’t going to do anything that I had done in my past.”

This year part of the proceeds from the Ross (Blackie) Talbot annual raffle tickets will go to support Raleigh International Bermuda.

The youngsters also have to raise $500 each to help to pay for their personal expedition kit/rucksack. It costs about $15,000 per venturer for the expedition including airfare, medical coverage, training and administration.

For more information visit www.raleigh.bm or telephone 333-5678.