There was a call for volunteers to be coordinators of the camp and I applied to be one through a Google form. I was accepted and planning began in full force. We shared the tasks and headed different aspects of the proposed camp. The camp lasted for seven days and we had volunteers in charge of fundraising, communication with parents, transportation, accommodation, etc.
I was in charge of transportation, logistics, accommodation, and communication with the school administration. My job was to get means of transportation for all our movements within the city, get ready the accommodation, then be in communication with the administration for matters like identification of campers, school rules, and regulations, dress code, when to visit certain buildings, etc.
The theme of this year's kamp Konnect was Friendship, a new model for citizenship. The program was at Pan Atlantic University, Ibeju-Lekki Lagos. We camped at Aster hall, the Opus Dei center in school.
The experience for me was mind-blowing. In total, we had 18 girls and 7 coordinators which sum up to 25. The girls were grouped into planets (Mars, Venus, Jupiter) and flowers for their cabins (Magnolia, Lily, Daffodil, sunflower, etc). Each planet had a coordinator and I was the coordinator for the girls in mars.
The activities lined up for the camp were engaging and very interesting. The girls first had their media and photography class which was divided into two sessions.
The media and photography class was handled by professionals in the university and we were also given a good tour of the media department in the school. The department is not doing bad at all and the girls were intrigued by the sight of cool technologies.
They also had sessions on emotional intelligence, and practical sessions on taking good pictures, building and sustaining good friendships. The class didn't stop at theoretical but was practicalised too.
A few pictures the girls took
We went to the Iroto study center to carry out a service project. The joy of progression in life is to be able to give back to society. There is no better time than now to teach young people how to always give back to society and that is what was achieved through the service project.
Service project
The girls had already made serious and detailed plans on what to teach the children. Most of them were ready with instructional materials prepared by them so, when we got to the center and the children present were not in good numbers, the girls went into the community and started scouting for girls between the ages of 8 to 14 years. They got a good number after slightly persuading their parents.
There were outings to the beach, Craft market, and Lagoon secondary school (for the sake of girls who do not stay in Lagos). We played games and had fun as the camp was almost coming to an end. When we got to the Craft market, the girls shopped to their hearts' content. Most of the items purchased were used for the cultural day where all our meals were traditional. This included dishes like moin-moin, ofada rice, and the very popular Amala, Ewedu, and gbegiri.
We also went to the museum in the school. The museum is called Shyllon museum. It had many great artworks which left the girls in awe. We had a wonderful tour guide, who told the stories of each artwork effortlessly.
Artworks in the museum
The camp ended with a bonfire and award night. This was the highlight of the entire program. The girls were awarded certificates of participation, and the girls who had exceptional performances in some areas were also awarded. Other activities like sport tournament, swimming, cleaning and spiritual activities took place too.
Amid all the bustle, the coordinators tried to speak to the girls assigned to her. Here mentoring was based on all they had learned and how they intended to carry it out. The mentoring session was a follow-up to ensure quality leaders who are ready to learn and listen.
By the end of the camp, everyone had made new friends and learned something new. This is the main aim of an acculturation program. The girls had all interacted and were very happy to return next year.
Thank you for reading.
