New work camp programme kicks off

The modernised concept for youth exchange and work camps focuses on capacity building

By Kenneth Nkumiro, RDP

Young work campers building houses and digging latrines may be a thing of the past. MS Denmark and partners are currently modernising the entire concept of youth exchange focusing it on capacity building – just like it is the case in most other development projects and programmes.

Youth Co-operation Programme (YCP) is the name of the new concept implemented by partners in East Africa. The participating MS Uganda partners are Recreation for Development and Peace, RDP, East Africa Workcamp Association, EAWA, Uganda Pioneers’ Association, UPA, Jamii Ya Kupatanisha, JYAK, and New Sudan Students’ Association, NESSA.

The first YCP camp was held in Kigumba, Masindi, in July by RDP. The camp attracted 40 participants from Uganda, South Sudan, and Kenya.

The theme of the camp was ‘Community recreation activities: Tools for peaceful and harmonious co-existence’. The theme suited the venue of the camp perfectly: Kigumba hosts about 56 different nationalities and cultures.

Among the issues and topics in the camp were

Conflict management and transformation
Forum theatre
Communication
HIV and Aids, and
Sports for all

The concepts were coupled with practical activities and study tours.

Participants took a tour of the refugee camp in Kiryandongo and presented an interactive forum theatre play on HIV and Aids to the young people in the camp. Another output from the work camp was two talk shows held on the local FM station.

MS Uganda’s YCP co-ordinator Marion Akiteng was pleased and said, "RDP has set standards for the rest of the camps to follow.’

On his part the work camp’s host sub county chairperson Simon Irumbo commented – after the presentation of a play on land conflict:

"I have come to believe that these young people can play a big role in reducing the conflicts in this sub county especially land conflicts and the HIV problem".