Quest Africa Men's Core: 7-Month Journey of Transformation

Had an absolute blast! Partaking in Quests Gap year program absolutely changed my life and allowed me opportunities I would never have experienced otherwise! I am forever thankful to the staff and fellow questors for an unforgettable experience

When it comes to Quest Africa, I still struggle to find words big enough for what it is. It’s a place that feels almost unreal - tucked deep in the African bush, miles away from noise, and comfort. From the moment you arrive, they pull you into an adventure like no other. I’ve personally been scuba diving through caves, hunting in thick bush, building and painting, and sweating for this place in ways I didn’t even know I could. It’s the kind of environment that demands your full presence. You don’t just visit Quest - you earn your time there, and it changes you. When I think back on my time at Quest, one lesson stands above everything else: growth doesn’t happen in comfort. It happens when you put yourself in situations that are hard, unfamiliar, and sometimes miserable in the moment. Like orientation week, when you’ve just finished building a shelter and the rain starts pouring, and all you can do is huddle together for warmth. Or when you’ve been hiking for three days straight and suddenly you’re told to run a 21km. Those experiences are pure “type 2 enjoyment” - in the moment it feels like hell, but later you look back with gratitude, because it made you tougher, taught you what you’re capable of, and showed you how much more you have in the tank than you think. But what makes it truly special is that you don’t go through any of it alone. Quest forges real relationships because everyone around you is carrying the same weight, facing the same stress, and pushing through the same doubt. There’s something powerful about suffering and succeeding side by side. It builds trust quickly, strips away the fake stuff, and leaves you with friendships that are real -the kind that last a lifetime. Quest Africa is magic not because it’s easy or pretty (even though it can be both), but because it forces you to grow, and it gives you people to grow with.

There aren’t many experiences like Quest that I think about every single week. Not just the irreplaceable skills and learning but the unforgettable memories as well. What I gained from my experience set me up for success in university and now the life that I am living after too.