A group of five South African students, including 17-year-old Luke Boswell from Gqeberha, recently returned from a transformative expedition to Deep Field Antarctica. The programme, led by adventurer Riaan Manser, aims to inspire young people to address environmental challenges through practical action. Participants describe profound shifts in their understanding of climate change and personal growth.
In December last year, five South African students embarked on the Students in Antarctica programme, a unique initiative founded by environmentalist Riaan Manser six years ago. Unlike typical visits by ship, this expedition flies participants directly into Deep Field Antarctica, allowing them to experience the continent's vast ice firsthand. The group included Luke Boswell from Pearson High School in Gqeberha, Aaminah Choonara from Lenasia Muslim School, Allegra du Randt from Thomas More College, Naethan Mol from Bishops Diocesan College, and Ntokozo Nkuna from Khanyisa Education Centre.
Manser emphasizes the programme's goal of fostering problem-solvers rather than protesters. "This is the only programme of its kind in the world, where African students are taken into Deep Field Antarctica," he says. "What we want are young people who can find solutions to environmental problems. In 10 years, we hope these students will be the ones in boardrooms actually making change."
The itinerary combined education with physical challenges: visits to landmarks like the Ice Wall and ancient ice tunnels, night hikes with camping at -25°C without tents, and the Upside Down Run, a half-marathon on the continent. For Boswell, the endless white expanse was overwhelming. "No documentary or photo can describe it. It is another world entirely, just white, as far as the eye can see," he remarked. The experience deepened his interest in engineering for environmental good, inspiring a future project on wind turbines resilient to Antarctica's 100 km/hr gusts.
Aaminah Choonara, from a humanitarian family background, highlighted local action's importance. "We tend to think humanitarian work only exists internationally... but the truth is that a huge amount needs to be done right on our own doorstep," she said. Naethan Mol, who started a sustainable farming project called 'Farming a Bag', stressed conservation's link to human survival. "The environment is not separate from us," he noted, echoing Manser's mantra: 'There is an ocean between saying and doing.'
Overall, the expedition pushed participants beyond comfort zones, blending personal growth with environmental awareness to equip them for future impact.