Friday 7 August 2015

From the girl they called “Shy” … So hard to say GOODBYE

Wow! And so its the end of AYC’15.

This week has been wonderful, so many benefits. Conquered my shyness, found out I am a good writer, really worth it! I have no regrets that I came here because I have achieved a lot of great things. I am going to miss every new person I met here, all the mentors and the facilitators.
God bless the convener of Activate Youth Camp, Mrs Kikelomo Omooba for helping me awaken the giant in me.


Adekunle Anita
Camper, AYC' 15

Monday 3 August 2015

10 THINGS I LEARNT FROM ACTIVATE YOUTH CAMP 2015

       "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality"
  • The Faithfulness of God and the Potency of God’s word: AYC 2015 was a proof of God’s faithfulness. “Great results are not always a function of your great Faith but always a function of His great Grace”. God really showed himself beyond our imagination. God gave us a Word early this year that there will be an announcement of Annie’s Place Child Development Initiative, we didn’t know how it was going to be but we were certain that faithful is He who has promised. The same God who started the good work, remained faithful to perfect it! God gave us cheap publicity even though we couldn’t afford to pay for media coverage; the First Lady accepted our Invite as the Keynote Speaker  and she came with her media crew for the opening ceremony. And guess what,  the news was all over the place; TV Stations, Radio Stations , Print, electronic and even the new media 
  • The Goodness of God: God is summum bonum, the chiefest good. We enjoyed the goodness of God immeasurably during AYC 2015. At every point and from different angles, God made a way. We had believed we would get sponsorships from corporate organisations but most of them disappointed at the very last minute but the good God raised help for us from strange places. “He called the ravenous bird from the East and the man that would execute his counsel from a far country”. We enjoyed Soteria… all round provision.
  • The Power of Vision: We knew what we wanted for AYC 2015, we had goals and expectations, we communicated it to our facilitators and volunteers which they understood so well and we were able to meet and exceed our expectations. “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world”.
  • The Power of Strategic and Intelligent Planning: “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” Plans for AYC 2015 started way back, it wasn’t just the regular planning, it was a strategic one which was based on some Project Management Principles. We identified our stakeholders, designed our Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Communication Channels etc. No wonder it was a great success!
  • The Power of Relationships: People are the most important asset for any successful project. Our volunteers and facilitators are people in our networks; some we have worked with before and others we worked with for the first time on camp, some I didn’t even know have a lot to offer. For instance, the Graphics designer was my classmate in the University and I didn’t know he does graphics so well until he signed up to be a volunteer on AYC and he did a fantastic job for us.
  • The Power of Creativity/ Creative People: “Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.” I saw real creativity in action during AYC 2015, this was displayed more by the Media team; the Graphics guy, the Picture and Video editor, the Photographers, the Projector guy etc. Everyone performed beyond expectation which really helped us to achieve our goals.
  • The Power of Good Leadership: Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. We realised that we could not do a lot of things on our own so we set up Project Teams, each unit had a Team lead who oversaw their affairs. With this, we were able to focus on other aspects of the camp.
  • The Power of Delegation: “If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.” This I learnt very well from the Media Team, their team was the largest and everyone had a role to play. Their work was broken down and roles were effectively delegated to the volunteers. Everyone knew what to do and they did it effectively well.
  • The Power of Team Work: Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team”. This again I really learnt from the media team. Their coordination was superb, we could see the result on our social media updates. We had regular uploads of pictures, tweets and posts on facebook and instagram. Even people who were not on camp knew all that happened on camp.
  • The Power of Thanksgiving: “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings”. At a point, we stopped praying for our needs, we started thanking God for those things we have seen and those not seen, we called forth those things that be not as though they were and they actually became.

‘Tinuke Ladele
Project Manager
AYC’15

Saturday 1 August 2015

DAY SEVEN- ALL IS WELL THAT ENDS WELL #THEAWAKENING

To God be the glory, the 7-day 2015 edition of Activate Youth Camp finally comes to an end. The journey through this period has been totally impactful, as young minds have been equipped, empowered and encouraged to get the best from life. This can be proven going by the testimony of the campers.
There was a photo session for virtually all campers, and mentors inclusive. The atmosphere during the photo shooting was so bright and colourful. Mentors used the opportunity to further interact and take photographs with the campers. It was really fun-filled.

However, Mrs. Kikelomo Omooba, Convener of AYC '15, took her time to admonish the campers to be good ambassadors by always thinking right, acting right, living right, and putting God first in their endeavours. Campers who proved to be outstanding in one area or the other during the camp experience were rewarded with gifts with a view to further encourage and challenge them and their peers.
Then came the torrents of emotions, as parents started trickling in for their children. Undoubtedly, these children have had one of the best times of their lives in the past 7 days of AYC '15. Many of them could not hold it together, as they busted into tears.
After the campers had departed, the convener had a brief meeting with the mentors to appraise and evaluate the success of AYC '15. The mentors and volunteers were commended for contributing their time, skills and expertise towards a better life for the coming generation and encouraged to be a part of AYC 2016.

More photographs  were taken, and contact details were exchanged. Indeed, it's been a memorable experience for all.

MY EXPERIENCE AT AYC 2015

“I am fulfilled because I now know the real me in me, and I now know God’s plan for my life”

On the very first day I got to AYC, I felt unimportant because a lot of the people there chose friends according to their class and taste, which made me feel isolated.
But right now, Activate Youth Camp has really inspired me academically, physically, economically, mentally, with the help of the mentors and facilitators.
The aspect I enjoyed most is the skills and sport sessions. I chose to be in the Bead Making Class for the skills session and Aerobics for the sport session. I met lots of friends from different backgrounds and social classes, and I did not feel inferior to them anymore.
For the 7 days of AYC 2015, I looked forward to something great, which I got. I learnt a lot of things that will help me to be focused in my aspirations.
My special thanks to the Convener, Mrs. Kikelomo Omooba, and also to the sponsors and partners of AYC 2015. I am fulfilled because I now know the real me in me, and I now know God’s plan for my life.
By the grace of God, I will ensure I come for the AYC 2016.
I AM ACTIVATED!

FAKAYODE DORCAS,

AYC 15 Camper

ACTIVATING THE POWER OF A YOUNG MIND


"Submitting to a virtuous mentor and spending time with successful people either through their books or personal interactions will get our mind activated."
The power of the mind! A phrase that sounds really simple but has powerful meaning. Do we know one thing that has no limitations? It is our mind. Simply put, our mind is as wide as an ocean when placed side by side and is the driver of our lives.
The mind of a teen is one of the most powerful things here on earth because we have no bills to pay, no wife to cater to and home to manage; but how can we activate the mind of the young ones and the future generation. The steps for us are:
  1. Reading: It is one of the steps that help you activate your mind but this can be effective if we make it become our habit and this can in turn make us top our classes.
  2. Mentoring: Have someone to hold you accountable. A leader without a servant is not a leader and a servant without a leader is not a servant. Submitting to a virtuous mentor and spending time with successful people either through their books or personal interactions will get our mind activated.
In conclusion the mind is an ocean and it is capable of achieving the impossible if it is activated correctly. Thank you Activate Youth Camp for making us believe in ourselves and exploring the possibilities of our minds.

Erhijivwo Goodluck
AYC 15

Team Ruby, 16

LEGACIES ARE NOT LEFT BY ACCIDENT

“The used key is always bright”
I treasure my relationship with Activate Youth Camp. I admire what they do and support them in every aspect of their endeavour. I will always look upon them, as my partner in progress. A lifestyle that touches the world around us, your footstep should be followed by legacy seekers.  AYC is a place of opportunities to build a better humanity by training the mind. Many have lived without actualising their future, while a few are able to do so to benefit humanity. I am blessed to be familiar with dedicated leaders who are rich in character and committed to making a difference. 
Andrew S. AJEIGBE

AYC 15 Volunteer photographer

DAY SIX- A DAY THAT SAID IT ALL #THEAWAKENING



A DAY THAT SAID IT ALL
We are already used to loving the drilling exercises every morning and Day 6 was no different. After breakfast, the first session was led by Mrs. Ruth Goma of Schools Consult on “Positive Listening”. Dividing the campers into groups, we played the listening game to help increase concentration. She highlighted the benefits of listening to promote and attract good attitude for “where your intellects stops, attitude continues”. The types of listening she highlighted were:

  1. Discriminatory Listening (Picky, haphazard and selective)
  2. Comprehensive Listening (careful listening then writing what you understand)
  3. Informational Listening
  4. Critical or Analytic listening (for scientists)
  5. Therapeutic or Empathy listening (for psychologists, doctors and philosophers).
Daniel Nwaeze, AYC '15 Blogger
On rounding her session, she took us into an emotional state to build minds to empathy listening, to think big and to learn to help others. The children were moved to tears after listening and sharing bothersome issues with a friend in groups of two and also discovering they had opportunities to help people which they never did but promising to begin to help anyone next to them from today. 
Day 6’s unique session was the exhibition. All the skills class exhibited finished beautiful works on stage and presented on the techniques they used in coming up with their works during the six days of learning. From the fabrics of the Batik class, the T-Shirt designs of the T-Shirt production, the skirts of tailoring class, the caps and sweaters of the Knitting class, the vases and bags of Arts and Craft to the earrings, bangles and necklaces of beads and Ankara classes; they all exhibited beautiful designs. Knitting class presented a decoration and sweater to Mrs. Kikelomo Omooba as appreciation for bringing the vision of Activate Youth Camp to life.
 Jide Oluwase, AYC '15 Blogger
            Rotimi Ogunyemi, AYC '15 Blog Editor
The journey of guided learning was facilitated by Jude Obinyan a graphics designer with the topic “Point of View”. He shared stories of his life and asked a question on “How did you get to where you are? He tried to make the children understand perspectives in choosing a career. He introduced his tool kits and a banana using them as explanation. He explained cultures and perspectives of colours. Anything you love is what you’re good at but ask yourself a question: “is this your point of view?” for it is you who will decide your point of view. Make your choice right. He told us to understand colours and learn to love them while he interpreted them.  He praised Nigeria for the ingenuity of entrepreneurs and natural resources especially among the children here in camp.  Mr. Jude made everyone promise God:  “we will never allow anyone change or decide our point of view , and to explore the uniqueness in all of us”.
He rounded up by teaching the trick of the word “HELP” in learning anything we want and doing what we love.
The Day 6 adventures were indoors and fun from the cup games to brain teasers that opened our minds to think outside the box.
Tonight was free of sessions as it was varieties night. First DJ Gospel Beats lit the hall with lovely gospel music for freestyle dances. The dance skills presented their dance which they had learnt within five days. Then each team had one representative for each variety (Comedy, Singing, Drama and Dance).
When all deed has been done, the floor was open for Dance! Dance!! Dance!!! During dance, campers and mentors went around to exchange greetings and contacts of friends for life they had made.
Indeed Day 6 was a full day and it has been a fun learning atmosphere to the Glory of God.

FORWARD- AYC 2016

"I realised my weakness and vowed to Adjust"

Wow, like seriously!! Activate Youth Camp has been a great influence coupled with a huge blessing in my life as a result of meeting with facilitators, interactions with my fellow mentors, and campers.
Actually, I came here as a mentor, but I came to realise my weaknesses and how I can be a better person. Through the teachings and exposure I have received, I have learnt to live right and do things properly.
I have seen things which have convinced me. I have interacted with different people with different personality, but at this juncture, I can say I have met with the right people who have changed my perception about life. Glory be to God!
 Please if you are out there reading this, Activate Youth Camp 2016 is a place you should be, to discover your true self and understand who you really are.
Thank you.

JAIYEOLA OLUWAFEMI,

AYC’15 Mentor

AYC 2015- MYRIADS OF OPPORTUNITIES

“I thank AYC for doing this great thing in my life, for giving me words of enlightenment, encouragement, inspiration, and empowerment.”

Activate Youth Camp is a 7 day camp for youths, that’s helping us develop our talents. To be bold, avoiding distractions, acquiring essential life skills and making us realise the importance of setting goals. This has been achieved through interactive and practical sessions.
Activate Youth Camp also availed us the opportunity to meet with prominent people in the society. This people impacted our lives in so many positive ways. The camp has helped me to awaken my hidden potentials, and encourage the lion spirit in me. Right now, I have it in me! You too can do it. To every child out there, don’t allow anybody say ‘you are going nowhere’. Let people around you know that you have it in you, you are a champion. And for you guys out there don’t let anybody discourage you from pursuing your dreams, because you are a champion.
Activate Youth Camp promotes godliness in youths, by teaching and encouraging us to listen to moral teachings and injunctions. It has also helped us to build capacity for the purpose of self-reliance. AYC provided  a platform for professionals to practically take us through various skill sessions of our choice. Amazing quotes like: “I am the architect and builder of my life”, “My background cannot determine my future”, “If you are close to God, God will also be close to you” will never depart from my mouth. 
I thank AYC for doing this great thing in my life, for giving me words of enlightenment, encouragement, inspiration, and empowerment.
All thanks to Mrs. Kikelomo Omooba and her wonderful husband for giving us this opportunity. May God continue to bless you.


OLOJO CALEB ADEALANA,

AYC 15 Camper
Team Amber, 14 years