Fostering Resilience and Leadership: A Transformative Outing for Ashinaga Uganda Students

Life for teenagers is filled with unique challenges that require young people to develop critical skills for navigating this transformative period. Understanding this need, Ashinaga Uganda organized a Leadership Camp in Fort Portal from September 4th to 7th, 2024, to foster resilience and perseverance among its students. The camp brought together 50 secondary students from classes S1 to S6 and ten dedicated staff members and volunteers to engage in activities designed to build individual and team-based skills.

The camp started with discussions on resilience, setting a positive tone for the days ahead. Students were given time to explore their surroundings, get to know one another, and foster a supportive, trusting environment. This initial phase was crucial in creating a sense of community among participants, enabling them to feel safe and connected as they embarked on their journey of personal growth.

 

On the second day, the participants enjoyed an educational nature walk in Semuliki National Park, immersing themselves in the local ecosystem. This experience deepened their appreciation for nature and laid the foundation for the day’s team-building activities. In the afternoon, students played games focused on developing essential leadership skills such as communication, collaboration, and teamwork.  One participant reflected on the camp and lessons learned about humility, saying, “When we were working in groups, I learned the importance of cooperation, listening to one another, not being selfish, and sharing good ideas with others.” Another student shared, “We could devise a perfect solution by sharing different ideas and comparing them to the given task. For example, when we were tasked with making a robot using boxes.”

On the third day, participants’ physical endurance was pushed with a challenging hike to the top of a steep hill. This physical challenge was coupled with an outdoor cooking activity, providing a platform for further bonding and teamwork. By overcoming these obstacles together students developed resilience while creating lasting memories.

During the reflective campfire session on day four, students articulated their most valuable lessons learned from the camp. One participant said, “I learned to overcome different changes and challenges that I have in my life. I learned to be more collaborative with others.” Another student emphasized the essence of leadership, stating, “Having a title or a specific name doesn’t make me a leader, but my skills and proactiveness do. It costs nothing to be disciplined.” A third participant remarked, “I learned about changing the narrative and saw that it’s a good aspect in life because sometimes I was giving up too soon because of the negatives, yet with perseverance, they could change, like I witnessed during camp.” These reflections highlight the students’ empowerment and confidence in facing life’s challenges.

Overall, Leadership Camp 2024 was a resounding success in promoting resilience, perseverance, and essential leadership skills among participants. Through a blend of physical challenges, team-building exercises, and reflection activities, students gained valuable life skills that will support them in both their personal and academic lives, instilling a sense of hope and optimism for their future. This outing worked as a key element of Ashinaga Uganda’s overarching goal of providing emotional support for its orphaned students. By creating an environment that encourages growth and fosters connections, Ashinaga Uganda equips its students with essential life skills and nurtures their emotional well-being, helping them thrive in the face of adversity.