YOUTH CAMP 2016

Tell me and I will forget, Show me and I may remember involve me and I learn. The Province of Limpopo on the same wave length to this famous quote by Benjamin Franklin, recruited 250 participants in the ages between (15-20) years together with (20) Camp stewards to undergo a Camp at Blyde River Canyon Lodge from the (1-8) October 2016. The key group of actors around the success of the camp includes: SRSA (Sports and recreation South Africa), Love Life, the Province, Mentors from the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Mme Onicca Mokgobela, Camp navigator Mr A. Manthata and the Camp master Mokiri Lucas Lebetha.

The National Youth Camp is an annual summer camp held around September/October school holidays, for young people across the Republic of South Africa (RSA). Established in January 2011, by the minister of sports and recreation Mr Fikile Mbalula, the camp takes place in all nine (9) provinces in the country annually. The main goals of the camp are for participants to have fun(EDU- ENTERTAINMENT) collaborating in Social Cohesion; Leadership and National Identity; and Integration remain relevant in the current epoch of our country’s development, towards consolidating this country as a winning nation.

Recent camps have seen participants involving them self in so called community services in advance of the camp. These events are used to get to know the true meaning of Ubuntu (African concept for humanity) and see a little bit more of the neighbourhood, as the camp take place in an isolated area.

The 2016 Youth Camp Trailblazers, Stewards and everyone involved in the camp spend the dayplanting, cleaning and doing general manual worksat the community school (Dinkwenyane high school) together with the disability centre (Thusanang disability centre) even visited the chief at the tribal office in Phiring, a small rural community located just at the boundaries of the province (Limpopo) into Mpumalanga.

“Take care of everyday like a Mandela day, do good like you did today at the community of Phiring”-said the MEC.

The NSRP (National Sport and Recreation Plan), includes, among others the physical, mental, emotional, and cognitive development of athletes within the entire sports development continuum, including athletes with a disability. The Youth Camp is one form, in which support the vision.

A typical day is as following:

*05.00 hrs –Waking-up service (Run by the camp steward) physical education.

*06.00 hrs – Breakfast

* 08.00 hrs – class time

* 13.00 hrs - lunch time

*14.00 hrs – outdoor activities

*18.00 hrs - Night meal.

Motto>Learn, Lead, Serve (L2S) ……*

By: Monti Montsha