The 3 days youth camp brought together 26 youths (15 girls and 11 boys) within the Bamenda district to the Ntarinkon church compound. During this seminar, these young people had intensive bible study sessions, lessons on personal hygiene/sanitation and trainings on some practical live savings skills.
Bible study and community evangelism
Bible study: This was the main focus of the seminar with 9 sessions (3 sessions per day) which were characterised with detail explanation of bible lessons and question/answers from both facilitators and the youths. Since it was organised during the Easter season, lessons were also elaborate on the death, burial, resurrection and the return of Christ . However, at the end of each session, time was allocated for them to ask any question on any topic from the bible which they did and had very clear and simple explanations from the priests.
Community Evangelism: These youths, accompanied by the priests took time out between 3:00pm and 5:30pm on day 1 of the seminar to move along the streets and some homes of Ntarinkon to talk about the love of Christ and to share our community magazines to local inhabitants of Ntarinkon.
Lessons on menstrual / personal hygiene
During this session a guidance counselor was brought in from the Organization of Women Empowerment and Development to actually explain how young girls can take care of themselves and still go about with their daily activities normally during their menstrual periods. She went ahead to narrate the dangers of involving themselves into premarital sexual activities while encouraging and stressing on the importance of abstinence before marriage. She advised them stay away from peer pressure and to make sure that they report all cases of sexual advances to their parent and to the priest of their various congregations. She also went ahead to caution those who are students to concentrate on their book work while advising those are undergoing apprentice training / business to focus on their trades in other to become better leaders and models in the future. In conclusion, advice them to take care of their body hygiene because cleanliness in next to Godliness.
Live saving skills (cookery ,barbing, shoe repairs and sports)
Cookery/catering: This session drew their attention to some common mistakes which they make in their homes (kitchens) as each of them practically participated in cooking their own food during the 3 days. They also learnt how to prepare peanuts, cake and ground-nut sweet through the assistance of the Bamenda district ministers who supported them with a considerable sum of money.
Barbing: when it cam to barbing, both boys and girls took turns in learning how to handle the shaving machine to shave the heads of some of their peers. At the end of it, some few shaving machines were handed to the most vulnerable youths. One the beneficiaries was so happy and said he will not keep if for himself alone but promised that all his sibling will henceforth not go to a barbing salon again because of the gift that he had received.
Shoe repairs: This was another wonderful practical session where these young people where thought on how to repair their own shoe. It is worthy to mention that one of the ministers brought over 20 pairs of shoes; bundles of tread and a shoe repair needle each for the entire participant. So each person had a pair shoe each to sew and learn how they can easily mend their own shoes back at home by themselves. At the end of the training each participant went home with their needles and some amount of tread to continue with the activity in their homes.
Sports: These youth also had some time to play out-door games like football, hand ball and jugging exercises.