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Sunday, 23 July 2006 |
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It is the end of the first day and the feeling around the camp is one of high spirit and excitement. From the moment the coach brought 30 excited but tired campers to the camp, the atmosphere has been one of friendship and politeness. Having no prior experience with this camp which is in its 7th Year in Sweden, I was slightly anxious at taking this role due to the ratio of two mentors to eight campers. The administration team along with the campers have made the introduction into this role as simple as possible.
There has been a vast amount of time spent by the administration and the mentors to ensure this camp provides the campers its mission objective: ‘Towards Excellence’. All of the training we as mentors received had been carefully planned to ensure that we knew how to operate in various circumstances that we may find ourselves in. Even though it has been just the end of the first day, a lot of that training gained has been implemented, which has ensured the camp operates as smoothly as possible.
There is no one specific highlight to my day as the whole day has been amazing. Even though my role is one of a mentor, it stretches to being seen as an older brother and as a friend. The relationship is continually growing and it seems that I am gaining their trust and respect which will assist me in working with them.
The camp has been better then I had expected; this is mainly due to the fact that we have nearly 95% of the camp to ourselves which is spacious with several greenery areas to relax near. The sporting facilities, which include basketball courts and volleyball beach, are way above average, providing a good vibe for the campers to enjoy.
It seems the campers are kept occupied throughout the day time to ensure they maximise the time they spend at this camp. The timetable has been arranged to a state whereby there is a good mix of educational, sporting and teambuilding activities. It does not only keep the campers occupied but it gives us mentors a minimal amount of sleep.
It is now 4.30 in the morning and I feel I should start to end this blog. I feel the amount of experience and knowledge I gave gained has been incredible and hope that my friendship with the campers grow as the camp goes on. I have to end by stating the great food that is being served by the two chefs that provide us with two heavy meals in a day and deserts in the evening. With the continuing hard work from the administrators and the mentors, and with Allah’s (S.W.T) grace, the camp will be trouble free with the campers learning new skills and knowledge that they are able to use in their day-to-day activities.
Murtaza Merali
Mercury |
