Ref: PR/AF/2016/18
The first Africa Federation Girls’ Camp successfully came to a close on the 29th December 2016, amid numerous accolades for organizers from parents of participating girls and others. Held at the Morogoro International School from the 19th to 29th of December, the camp was attended by 68 campers, 16 mentors and 7 members of the administration and volunteering team, led by the Camp Lead Mrs. Fatim Sadick Somji, she is also a nominated Councillor of Africa Federation. We were blessed to have as speakers at the Camp; Mrs. Fatema Shabbir Somji, Sister Saarah Bokhari, Mrs. Fatim Raza, Mrs. Fatema Dewji-Jaffer and Dr Kamaal Sheriff renowned in their fields of expertise in topics and skills.
The Camp included participants from several Jamaats, namely; Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Nairobi, Mombasa, Tanga, Lindi, Moshi, Morogoro and Zanzibar.
Every activity at the camp was designed with the camp vision in mind: “Sharing sustenance for the mind, body and soul”.In addition to this, each day at the camp revolved around a specific theme. Some of themes covered included Tawassul, the environment, the Bounties of Allah (SWT), Culture, Women, and our 12th Imam (atfs).
The campers were split into eight planets, with two mentors allocated to each of them, with the mentors providing guidance, support and advice – acting as elder sisters to the campers during the course of the camp.
Each day began with Fajr namaaz, a brief talk and then meditation, stretching and a yoga session to energize and boost the campers. After breakfast, each planet had a Holy Qur’an recitation and a reflection session that revolved around the theme of the day. This was followed by the classes conducted by the speakers whose well-prepared and enlightening lessons were graciously received by the campers.
After Zohrain namaaz, and a brief lecture by one of the mentors, it was lunchtime followed by planet time and sports. Campers had to choose between football, netball, swimming and throwball (and had to alternate between all the sports during the course of the camp). Mentors managed and coached all these sports activities.
The evenings were spent in the PDT (Personal Development Time) sessions and Planet Time. PDT included lateral thinking exercises and team-building activities, all designed with the theme of the day in mind. During Planet Time, campers and their mentors discussed (within their respective planets) any issues they faced on a personal level, and the session was used for personal development for all involved.
The whole camp went for a hiking expedition on the 25th of December 2016 to Mount Uluguru. Decked out in their sports shoes, the entire group trekked up to Bahati Camp, reflecting on the theme of the day: “The Bounties of Allah (SWT)”. Besides providing a break from the daily camp routine, the hike provided the campers with an opportunity to appreciate the wonders of nature around us and the Majesty of Allah (SWT).
Midway through the camp, parents were provided an opportunity to send letters to their daughters at the camp. On receiving these letters, campers and mentors, in a beautiful, emotion-filled moment, acknowledged the value and love they shared with their families and loved ones.
Daily updates of the camp were published on the AYN Facebook page. These can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/TheAfricaFederationyouthnetwork/. The updates provided parents and loved ones with a glimpse into the daily activities at the camp, including additional testimonials from the speakers, mentors, campers and parents, as well as additional photos.
Closing Ceremony:
The Closing Ceremony of the camp was held on 28th December 2016, at the School’s Hall. The camp was graced by the presence of the Hon Assistant Secretary of the Africa Federation Br. Alihassan Kassam, the Hon Assistant Treasurer Alhaj Aliabbas Nasser, the Africa Federation Youth Network (AYN) Chairman, Br. Aliraza Sumar and the Hon Secretary Br. Sajjad Karamsi. Also present was the Resident Aalim of Morogoro Jamaat Seyed Meraj Zaidi, the Chairman of KSIJ Morogoro Alhaj Abdulrazak Kermally, the Chairlady of the KSIJ Morogoro Mrs. Amina Patel, the Chairlady of the Ladies Management Committee of KSIJ Dar es Salaam, Mrs. Nazneen Karmali, and other invitees and guests.
Br. Alihassan Kassam read out the message from the Chairman of the Africa Federation (AFED), Alhaj Shabir Najafi, he expressed his heartiest congratulations and gratitude to Africa Federation Youth Network (AYN) and the Organizing Committee of the Girls Youth Camp for the successful accomplishment of the camp. The AFED Chairman asked the Mentors and Campers henceforth to act as ambassadors of AFED and AYN. He also called upon the AYN Leadership to ensure that they remain connected with all the Campers and Mentors. Planning of such program is of fundamental importance; AYN must start planning for the next camp, and take lessons from the just ended camp.
Appreciation & Presentations:
All campers, mentors, administrators and speakers were awarded certificates and token of appreciation during the Closing Ceremony.
Speakers
Appreciation
On behalf of Africa Youth Network (AYN), I would like to acknowledge and appreciate everyone who contributed to make this camp an overwhelming success. In particular, we would like to thank Mrs. Fatim Sadick Somji, the Camp Lead and her dedicated administration team at the Camp who were; Ms Narjiskhatoon Thawer, Mrs. Sajida Z Master, Ms Mubina Sumar, Ms Sayyada Master and Ms Sarah Somji.
We also wish to recognize the important roles of the 16 Mentors, we are thankful to them for giving their valuable time to undergo the training and skills development sessions in preparation for the Camp, also for being wonderful and resourceful Mentors for the Camp providing the support and sharing their knowledge with the Campers.
KSI Jamaat of Morogoro for their support and assistance, especially Alhaj Shafiq Rajvani who was the Camp liaison from the Jamaat, the Jamaat Managing Committee members and the admin personnel at the Jamaats for their wonderful support.
The support, cooperation and guidance received from the AFED office bearers were extremely useful, whenever we required assistance or guidance, this was received promptly. Our thanks go to the AFED Administrative Secretary, and the Accounts staff at the Secretariat for their invaluable support and timely assistance.
The AYN representatives in each Jamaat who worked tirelessly to promote the camp and constant follow up to collect registrations.
The support offered by the Africa Federation Capacity Building Group (CBG) in facilitating the YDP and MDP training sessions has played a significant role in preparing the Mentors for the camp whose roles were of prime importance to the success of the Camp.
We are also thankful to the Education Board and Women Board Teams for their support and assistance towards the Organization of the Camp and the Youth and Mentor Development Programs.
We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to the numerous sponsors and donors who supported to the camp whose contributions helped ensure that the camp ran smoothly.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge and offer our sincere thanks to the brilliant speakers whose enlightening lectures and lessons transformed lives, the Mentors – whose guidance was inspirational and encouraging, and the Campers themselves – whose energy, discipline and camaraderie made the Camp a huge success.
Secretariat
Africa Federation Youth Network (AYN)