Two weeks as an animator at SPYS – YES: Youths Engage in Senglea, Summer Camp

 YES Summer Camp 2012_2
A dear friend of mine who is a member of SPYS (Salesian Pastoral Youth Service) months ago told me about the YES Senglea Summer Camp that the organisation was planning for July. I had been on the lookout for opportunities where I could be more involved in the community, so this project sounded like a meaningful idea.

We volunteers started meeting and planning out the day to day activities early on in the year. As the date of commencement of the summer camp approached, I started to feel apprehensive of how I would relate with the kids as this was going to be my first experience in this type of project. Soon enough it was the first day of the camp and twenty five kids were filling the hall. As we interacted, my apprehensiveness faded and excitement took over. In the days that followed, crafts were made, games played and excursions attended during the mornings. In the afternoon we met again for mass at St. Philip's Church after which we used to go swimming or to the Salesian Oratory. The time flew by very quickly and preparations were soon underway for the talent show held on the final day of the camp.

I decided to participate in this project because I wanted to do some volunteering and spend my summer in a fruitful way but I enjoyed myself so much that the whole experience did not feel like volunteering. I was receiving so much more than the little I was offering. It was very satisfying to be able to build a rapport with the kids. Seeing all of us mingle together made the memory of the first day, where all of us stood apart in corners, just a memory of the past.

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