Congratulatory Letter to Self …2025

You cannot beat the dreams and aspirations of #AYC15 Campers when prompted to write a letter to self,  to be delivered in the year 2025. Here goes Victor…

Dear Victor,

I hope all is well with you and your family. I heard that you are now the Chief Accounting Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, well it is a great pleasure.

I am very excited and happy that I have achieved this great success and my ambition which I have been longing for about a decade now.

Yes, one day Obi will surely become a man and now it has come to fulfilment in my life. I give thanks to God most especially for making this day possible and for making me to accomplish my ambition as the Chief Accountant of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Thanks to God Almighty.

Yours sincerely,

Victor.

I Found My Path in Life

Wow! #ActivateYouthCamp!! should I call it a blessing? or my manna from heaven! It has been four good days. I have heard words and I have met with distinguished people that I believe are God-sent. I thought #ActivateYouthCamp is one of those camps you go to and come back feeling dry, but no, this one is unique, one of a kind. 

I still have so much to learn and I am happy about the amazing people I am meeting. This camp has really started working in me. I am positive that God brought me here to ‘find my path’. I found my path here, right in this camp. Now I realise that God is for everybody and if you leave God, He will leave you.

I know that life is not that easy but if you have God you have the strength you need. ‘It is in me’. I will not give up on my dreams. I have my own path to create. I have it in me!

Christiana Ibiwoye

#AYC15 Mentor

A DAY OF INSPIRATION AND 'SINGSPIRATION'

Day 4 was enthusiastic! We all woke up to the field for our drilling exercises. The day’s activities started with reminisce of yesterday’s event and sharing our inspirations. Going for team meetings, the task was to continue brainstorming for global problems and proffering local solutions then to rehearse songs for the night’s music competition.

The general session for Day 4 was “Pictures Galore”. We had group pictures where we formed ACTIV8 and various shapes in our teams. We took group and personal pictures of our friends and the photographers were at their best for the whole duration. 

Skills learning continued in earnest with campers learning skills in various Arts and Crafts, Make-up, Photography and Knitting and their creativity began manifesting since they needed time to take shape. Arts and craft made bags from looms and small jars from old newspapers. Knitting made berets and bags perfectly while photography class were in the field taking portrait pictures as assignments.

Mr. Adebola Odu-Onikosi in facilitating the journey of guided learning challenged campers to be at their best and strive for excellence. Using life examples of his growing-up and learning years in Mushin on his personal journey to excellence.

On Action Home, the children preferred solutions to global problems having local implications. It is always a delight when children within a short space of time can provide smart and innovative solutions to global issues.

The night session was the best of all as we had renowned gospel act Gaise Baba perform his hit song “ Awa O Tush O” getting everyone on their feet dancing to the glory of God. Gaise went ahead to challenge campers to maintain their virginity till they are married and to take the “Chastity Vow”. The night ended with singing competitions where all the teams put up a great performance

It is always anticipated that the next day would be the best of all!

DIFFERENT SETS OF BEAUTY

One of our amazing mentors shares some of her early experiences.. Be enthralled

I registered for the 2014 AYC camp but couldn't make it because I couldn't be excused for a week from work. However, that didn't stop me from registering for AYC 2015. I am glad that I could take time off work to be here. My experience hasn't been a bed of roses, but it has been laced with different sets of beauty. I had thought I was coming here to be a mentor and be of help to the campers, which I am doing to the best of my abilities. More importantly though, I have also been mentored as a mentor. We got here a day before the campers and had facilitators educate us on diverse topics that will enhance our role as mentors. I particularly enjoyed Mr Taiwo Akinwumi's session and though his session was funny, it was enlightening. I understood that even trivial things might not be so trivial when it comes to raising the right kinds of teenagers and children. Even songs, words and 'white lies' shape them in one way or the other. They do as we do, not as we say. So we must not only speak right around them, we must do right. We must be right.

I paid with my time to be here, but I can say I have gotten a whole lot more. What is time without knowledge? As I earlier said, it hasn't been a bed of roses. There have been times during the 3 days I've been here where I've been upset about a thing or two; but we're humans and we err. What motivates me though is that we all are here for a great cause. We might not see eye to eye on certain issues, but we must keep our eyes on the goal; which is to raise a better generation. And that is exactly what we're doing.

I'd definitely love to be a part of AYC 2016. Not just because I'd like to be a mentor, but because I know I'd also be mentored and will leave the 7 days camp a better person.I haven't left AYC2015 yet, but I can tell that there's also been a paradigm shift. 

Mobolaji Olorisade.

omobolaji.com

A DAY IN ACTIVATE YOUTH CAMP 2015

“… I told you it was amazing” 

Read this brilliant piece from one of our Campers

I woke up at 3am this morning with an agonizing pain in my left leg and did not know what to do because I did not want to wake any mentor at such hour, so I got up and walked around my block. Occasionally, I would walk back to my room and try to sleep. I fell asleep but woke again at 5:30am after 30minutes of sleep which is not exactly the best way to start your day but still forged ahead with hope; hoping  today will be amazing.

I was not disappointed. The day started with energizing drills that woke me up and somehow cleared my head. After that, I went into my room where my wonderful roommates and I got ready for the day with a breakfast of bread and stew. After breakfast, we were all taken to the hall where the camp commandant Mr. D addressed and gave us our agenda for the day. The first on the agenda was team meetings.

I am in team RUBY and our slogan says “We always stand out”. I got to meet my wonderful team mates and mentors who are gems to me. After team meetings, the opening ceremony started. Our special guest was the governors’ wife Her Excellency Mrs. Bolanle Ambode whom we nicknamed our grandmother. Of course, if we have a grandmother, we have to have a mother and this title was given to Pastor Mrs. Kikelomo Omooba the convener of Activate Youth Camp.

After the opening ceremony, we went for our skills training. My  chosen skill is make-up and from the way my facilitator Feyzo spoke and the kind of equipments she carried, I knew she was a professional. I had so much fun learning during her class because she was not boring and did not sound tired or afraid of talking to us. Our next facilitator was in the general session. His name is Mr. Yomi Ogunfowora, he spoke to us on “The journey to guided learning” and gave us advice based on his life experiences.

Later today, I took courage to see the  Camp Doctor who gave me medicine. I do not know what it is but I know he is certified because Activate Youth Camp coordinators only bring professionals so I was not bothered. All I know is that the headache went away and I was able to enjoy the next activity in sports. Our coach took us through different basketball drills after which we actually played and my team won, so you can imagine how happy I was. I also loved the fact that the mentors were participating as well.

Finally we had entertainment night which was comedy and our special guest was Seyi Law. He started by making us laugh and giving us important advice on success with his personal experience. After this, my team mates competed against other teams in a comedy show and we laughed a lot. Team Emerald won but we were all happy for them because we have been taught team work.

One of our mentors Champ Miles bought us a cake and we all had a taste of it after which we went to bed.

So my day started out with a terrible ache in my leg and a headache but it ended with smiles and laughter and a cake. I told you it was amazing.

Pereye Raine, 15years

Team Ruby.