Community Care leadership camp
Twenty boys from our Community Care Program attended a leadership camp. The focus was on the boys and the issues that affect them. The group discussed many different topics and one of them was family structure and what it means to be a boy child/man. This discussion led to interactive discussions and debates about society’s perception of the boy child and the impact of the saying “men don’t cry”. The group agreed that emotional issues and feelings are often left unattended. The fact that boys do not always get the emotional support or help they need can lead to boys turning to alcohol, drugs and violence. “I learned how important it is to talk about challenges and that there are many of my peers who struggle with the same problems as me”, was one of the comments made.
The boys enjoyed the camp and had the opportunity to talk and express themselves freely. Serious conversations around leadership skills, career choices, online safety, relationships and adolescence were held. Games were played and the boys especially found the guidance around the use of vision boards valuable. The weekend ended with a spiritual session. “It was during the spiritual session that I realized again that I have a lot to be grateful for”, was one of the comments made by a boy. When asked about the highlight of the camp, another replied “The fact that we were all boys and could speak freely was wonderful and it was nice that all the attention was on us as boys”.
Gemeenskapsorgprogram leierskamp
Twintig seuns van ons Gemeenskapsorgprogram het ‘n leierskapkamp bygewoon. Die fokus was op die seunskinders en die kwessies wat hulle raak. Die groep het baie verskillende onderwerpe bespreek en een daarvan was gesinstruktuur en wat dit beteken om ‘n seun kind/man te wees. Hierdie bespreking het gelei tot interaktiewe gespekke en debatte oor die samelewing se persepsie van die seunskind en die impak van die gesegde “mans huil nie”. Die groep was dit eens dat emosionele kwessies en gevoellens agterwee gelaat word. Die feit dat seuns nie altyd die emosionele ondersteuning of hulp kry wat hulle nodig het nie kan daartoe lei dat seuns hulle wend tot alkohol, dwelms en geweld. “Ek het geleer hoe belangrik dit is om oor uitdagings te gesels en dat daar baie van my maats is wat met dieselfde probleme as ek worstel” , was een van die opmerkings wat ‘n seun gemaak het.
Die seuns het die kamp geniet en die geleentheid gehad om te praat en hulself vrylik uit te druk. Ernstige gesprekke rondom leierskapvaardighede, beroepskeuses, aanlynveiligheid, verhoudings en adolessensie is gehou. Speletjies is gespeel en die seuns het veral die leiding rondom die gebruik van visieborde waardevol gevind. Die naweek is afgesluit met ‘n geestelike sessie. “Dit was tydens die geestelike sessie wat ek weer besef het dat ek baie het om voor dankbaar te wees”, was een van die opmerkings wat ‘n seun gemaak het. Op ‘n vraag oor die hoogtepunt van die kamp het ‘n ander geantwoord “ die feit dat ons almal seuns was en vrylik kon praat was wonderlik en dit was lekker dat al die aandag op ons as seuns was”.