Key Learnings Youth Camp in Kampala, Uganda

Key LearningsYouth Camp in Kampala, Uganda

An important aspect of the exchange programme was the Youth Camp hosted in Kampala, Uganda; which is an initiative of Norec which sets out to bring together exchange volunteers from all over the world to prepare them for their upcoming exchanges. “There is a lot of exchange of ideas. They set up participants for their volunteering programmes so they can see why Norec does these exchange programmes and be clear on why they have been chosen and what is expected of them on their exchanges. So that the volunteers can open up to learning more while on programme and get the most out of the experience,” states Arathi Kurup.

Norec Programme Adviser Hendrick Dale highlights the importance of the Youth Camp by stating that, “We give them an

introduction to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and our team-building exercises. We’re hoping that what the participants will get out of this camp is an increased ability to see the world from different perspectives and reflect on their role as exchange participants - in their own local communities and on a global level. And we hope that through those workshops they’ll be ready to participate in the exchange programmes. It’s also an opportunity to identify some personal and professional challenges that may arise as part of the project. Identifying those in advance along with good ways to handle them and so the participants know who to contact if problems arise. The feedback we get from this youth camp is that it’s valuable.”

Participants generally reflected positively on their experience of the Youth Camp in Uganda. Over and above the opportunity to interact and draw inspiration from youth leaders other part of the world, exchange participants described the camp as a great learning experience. Reflecting on her experience of the Youth Camp Activator Nombulelo Ngwentle, says “Uganda was amazing. It was

my first time travelling in the region; getting to meet with other young people who are like-minded and passionate about different issues, leadership as well as different cultures. It was a great learning experience where I met someone who is different to me but still faces the same challenges that I do with both of us working on solutions that could help towards addressing them.”

Additionally, the camp provided an opportunity for participants to critically reflect on their own stereotypes and challenge their mind-set. Pravah volunteer, Ashish Kumar Rajput, says,

“In India we see Africa as a country not as a continent. We have a very stereotypical view. I was disappointed in myself. I was not aware of the diversity the African continent has. Similar looking people to us but actually very different. One cultural shock I got was how many countries Africa has, so many countries, cultures, tribes, languages. I was shell- shocked. When I started interacting with people, I said ‘I don’t know anything

about your country, can you tell me about it?’. I met a lot NOREC Youth Camp group photo in Uganda

of people I am still in contact with. If I get the opportunity

to travel back to Africa to work on social issues, I now have valuable contacts,” he says. Moreover, the camp provided participants with an opportunity to explore perspectives from other youth leaders from across the world on how to address development challenges. Activator, Phathuxolo Ndzimande, says, “Uganda was a really great experience for

me. You learn about the differences our countries have, learn to appreciate your country, you see that someone else has bigger challenges. It makes you grow. I learnt so much and it pushed me to do some of the things I wanted to do, but was too scared to. I met a Kenyan woman doing a project with limited resources that gives me confidence to keep going.”

Orientation Camp in Muizenberg, South Africa

Following the Youth Camp in Uganda, Pravah ACTIVATE! participants headed to Muizenberg in South Africa for an orientation camp. The orientation camp sought to provide exchange participants with the required support and guidance in order to ensure that their experiences throughout the duration of the exchange programme will be transformed into learning. The schedule was kept quite light and fluid to allow for social interactions and excursions in between. Everything that was addressed was tailored into both the South African and the Indian context, and then put together making it flow from one to another. There was also an allocation of time for reflection and introspection including homework assignments. With the orientation happening straight after Uganda, it did at times get a bit exhausting for which the need for a timeout was considered. The overall feedback was overly positive. In terms of activities, participants felt that they had gained a lot of perspective regarding the entire orientation process and appreciated the additional time spent together.

Post the 14 orientation programme, the 5 participants from Pravah were placed with the ACTIVATE! Academy as their host organisation for the duration of the exchange. It is during this time that the South Africa participants were scheduled to travel to India to be hosted by Pravah. However, due to some visa and other logistical issues their date of departure was delayed to April in order to give time for the matters to be resolved. This was of great disappointment to all but also a valuable key learning opportunity on what to look out for in future including the understanding that not all participants possess the same means and capacity to navigate different spaces, particularly those with no prior exposure. That being said, this did not stop the rich experience which the Pravah participants got to be acquainted with.