Omladinski avanturistički kamp s organizacijom Anavuti International u organizaciji YES! kluba Nepal
U džungli u Nepalu, most dugačak 20 metara visi na užetu privezanom između dva stabla. Držeći se sa uže privezano iznad, učenici St. Mary srednje škole iz Katmandua, polako hodaju po užetu ispod svojih nogu. Boreći se s gravitacijom, učenici svakim korakom pronalaze ravnotežu i stiču novo samopouzdanje. 72 učenika sudjelovala su u jednodnevnom YES! klub Nepal avanturističkom kampu u Bajrabarahi hramu blizu Katmandua, Nepal 22. listopada 2011. Art of Living Yes! klub Nepal nedavno se udružio s organizacijom Anavuti International, pružateljem iskustveno-obrazovne edukacije na otvorenom.
Avantura počinje
U 7 sati ujutro Anavuti voditelji podijelili su grupe u četiri tima. Teški misaoni zadaci i izazovi fizičke snage čekali su na njih duboko u šumi. Tijekom igre Paukova mreža, članovi tima morali su se provući kroz otvore u "paukovoj mreži" bez dodirivanja užeta. "Morao sam biti vrlo ravan, vrlo svjestan, to je bila igra bivanja u sadašnjem trenutku", kaže Mamta Kafle, Art of Living volonter. "Nikad nisam bila u avanturističkom kampu", kaže Aishwarya Singh, jedna od sudionica. "U početku se nismo baš dobro slagali u timu. Svađali smo se s članovima tima, ali do kraja smo se svi upoznali, bilo je stvarno super", kaže Aishwarya.
Unlikely genius
Aishwarya is both a student and a young media personality. She has been a co-host of “Musicology,” an online radio program in Kathmandu. During one of the games, her team was given a task that seemed impossible. A bucket wrapped with 18 ropes was placed slightly higher than another bucket on the ground. The team had to pour the water from the higher bucket to the lower bucket. “Since it was tied with ropes in a circular way, it was just impossible to lift the bucket and pour the water,” explains Aishwarya. After a long silence, a young girl gave the winning solution. “The group was surprised when her teacher said she always fails in physics,” recalled Aishwarya. “And she was the one who came up with the idea. This camp was a success because it showed teachers that students have their own capability, own uniqueness, and cannot be judged only on the basis of marks.”
Finding their reflections
The day had been full of physical and mental challenges. The students had faced fears of heights, fears of falling and humiliation in front of their classmates. Challenges abound on any given day, but today, the St. Mary’s students faced the challenges in celebration. Many felt transformed. In a self-reflection session at the end of the day, the girls got the chance to write about it. “This activity made me realize that I was someone important and special in my own way,” says Vaishally Shah, of Class 9 at St. Mary’s. “It made me feel proud of my existence for the first time ever.”
“This was the best part,” Aishwarya says. “Most of the time we do not give time to ourselves because we are busy with Facebook and watching TV. And if we ask ourselves the question, ‘Who are we?,’ we do not know who we truly are.”
Confidence. Leadership. Teamwork. These were some of the responses from the students when they were asked what they learned. Overcoming fears, better communication. “Basically we are all students, we want to learn something from practical knowledge. It was fun learning to use my brains. This taught me about leadership skill, teamwork and having fun. It was a huge success,” says Aishwarya.
About YES! Club Nepal
The YES! Club Nepal Youth Adventure Camp was planned ahead of the Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES!), to be held this December. YES! Club Nepal organizes self-development programs and leadership training for youth aged 13 to 18. The YES! Course, a dynamic life skills training program, is offered in many countries around the world. Students learn innovative breathing techniques to help relieve stress. With more energy and a calm, focused mind, students become able to handle their emotions and perform better in their studies.
For more information about YES! Club Nepal, visit http://yesclubnepal.blogspot.com. To find out more about Anuvuti International experiential learning, visit http://www.anuvuti.com.
