echo Article and Photos by the P.R.E.M
Edited and Published by ECHO
With poverty on going, many children would lose the opportunity to gain the much needed experience and knowledge that could aid them in their futures. With that in mind, comes the formation of P.R.E.M, the Public Relations and Events Management (P.R.E.M) team and their memorable one day Youth Leadership Camp dedicated to these youngsters.
Despite the tired and sleepless days of planning, the Youth Leadership camp was a success. In order to fund the camp, the team held a donation drive before the camp. Their efforts bore fruit when the students managed to collect a staggering RM11,000 from the donation drive that was held on campus grounds! And, in a blink of an eye, the day of the camp has arrived.
June the 4th, it was like any other weekend in Malaysia but it was certainly an eye opening and exciting experience for the underprivileged youths from Rumah Hope, Rumah Kids, House of Joy, Precious Children’s home and Kebajikan Karunai Illam who participated in the Youth Leadership Camp recently at Sunway University campus.33 underprivileged youths from five respective homes took part in this camp that was facilitated by none other than the P.R.E.M team themselves.
With the help of 2 lecturers, the 24 Department of Communication and Liberal Arts students worked hard to achieve their goals in developing future leaders and inspiring the underprivileged youths to strive for their dreams .“We (P.R.EM) strongly believe that the participants will succeed when they are given the right encouragement and opportunities. Our programme wished to empower them by developing important skills such as leadership, decision making and communication skills. The camp also emphasized on problem solving skills and building confidence to ensure they are prepared to face the society and overcome obstacles in the future,” said Ryan Lee Kin Soon, Project Director of Youth Leadership Camp 2016.
“All of the participants excelled in each activities without any difficulties. Furthermore, we also noticed that the participants possess huge potential and we really hope that we can continue to contribute in their success. These youths should be given the equal opportunities to hone their skills which are crucial for their personal development,” he added
In a single day, the participants were able to experience different things through various activities that were carefully planned out for them. Many thrilling exercises awaited them that day. Among the exercises held included the academic and leadership workshop, treasure hunt, field sports and there was also even a talent show! These activities did not only arm the attendees with leadership qualities but they also helped in enhancing their (the attendees’) personal attributes.
“I’ve participated in other leadership programme before, but Youth Leadership Camp 2016 is something different. The programme were well-balanced with both academic and non-academic activities. The facilitators were very encouraging as they took the time to guide us through each activities. Overall, I had a lot of fun and I have also gained loads of experience in communicating and collaborating with other participants from different homes,” said Joe Satiah, one of the participants from Precious Children’s Home.
It was a job well done to the organizing team as the event came to a close. The participants returned with new skills added to their repertoire while the P.R.E.M team returned home tired but with their hearts filled with warmth.
