Saigonchildren gives young adults the power to be proactive

This year’s camp prepared the students for a proactive season. Saigonchildren want to keep encouraging students to use their skills, ideas and ambitions to create their own success. ‘Me Proactive’ intended to give students a boost in believing in their abilities and putting their ideas in practice.

As the students arrived on the camping site, they had six obstacles to go through to complete their initiation into the camp. From blowing out balloons filled with flour to decorating their own flags and many other fun games, the students all showed great interest in getting to know their team members and encouraging one another. The aim of the teams was to give students the opportunity to build relationships with their fellow students. Some of them would have met for the first time, but that didn’t stop them from supporting each other and drawing on each other strengths.

The different activities made it possible for each student to use his/her skills to help the team finish the task first. There were games where the team members had to use their artistic skills to design a flag or paint a piggy bank. Others required physical skills such as walking on a rope with the help of a pole. During the scavenger hunt, the students had to use their problem-solving skills to solve the clues and complete the challenge. While this was a recreational weekend for the students, they were still equipped with many skills to use in the future in their work, school, and home environment.

Supporting student and children’s holistic development means much more than offering them a scholarship, opportunity for attend university or vocational training. This camp aimed to cover all areas through-out carefully planned activities.

On the second day of the camp, the organizers gave the students one final task. They had to design fundraising ideas that they would put in practice in the following months. The teams, all approached the task differently. Some thought of the audience, who they would aim the product or service at. Some of the teams, thought of the costs and profits, while others focused on delivering a unique service such as putting together flower arrangements that people could buy on special occasions. All their ideas were presented professionally and were very thorough. The staff and volunteers made sure the presentations were fairly evaluated to determine which team deserved special recognition for their efforts.

During the time they spent at the camp, all the students had a ‘can do’ attitude, even when the task seemed challenging. To end the camp, the organizers planned a closing ceremony to celebrate the different teams who showed distinct team work and raised the most money from their previous fundraising activities./.