By Oluwatise Osinaike
In the next couple of weeks I will be through with the one year compulsory national youth service programme. It’s been an exciting one year. I am grateful to God for seeing me through
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But looking back, I recall with a lot of nostalgia the three weeks I spent at the Ede NYSC camp located in Osun state before I was posted to my Primary Place of Assignment.
I had anticipated going to the orientation camp so much that I cried the moment I didn’t see my name in the senate list of students billed for the NYSC in my school or so I thought because I later saw it. It was the anxiety of looking through the list that got me confused.
Eventually , I got posted to Lagos and was to go to Ede for the orientation since the Lagos camp was saturated.
Stories about camp
Before traveling that fateful Saturday I’ve heard quite a lot of things about NYSC camp. While many say it’s the place to make quality relationships especially when it comes to meeting your future spouse, others say it’s the place where corps members are exposed to golden and lifetime opportunities.
Whichever way, from the little experience I had in Ede I can confidently say camp is the place to learn a bit about all areas of life.
I’m not being sarcastic when I say all, yes literally all areas. I mean the physical, spiritual, mental, social and financial areas of life
Meeting people from different parts of the country made me appreciate the different cultures we have in the nation. Also having the northerners and graduates from the East coming to the southwest with their nuances was very interesting.
People from these different regions have stereotypes they bring along. They have different perspectives about issues and they do things differently . And you are left to wonder if truly you stay in the same country with such people.
No wonder the saying, your culture and background play a major role in shaping the person you are and forming the personality you portray.
Relationship
About making quality relationships. Well, I can say this is very true. But at the same time it could be challenging. I say this because one has to be very intentional in this aspect.
It takes one with discernment to know that this person sitting beside me has the capacity to move me to the best level of my life.
Why? Because everyone is wearing white on white. We were made to look like secondary school folks in uniform. It would be difficult to judge peoples’s capabilities. Regardless of that, it’s very important to make the most of friends where necessary.
Opportunities
At the orientation camp corps members are exposed to a lot of seminars on finance, self-development, career choices.
There are amazing offers too. In fact, one of my fellow corps member won N800,000 in a competition at the camp. The money was to help her establish her enterprise.
So, one of the first things to note is that the camp may well be the springboard for your financial freedom if you take advantage of the opportunities available.
It could also be the place where you will make a lifetime friendship that will impact on your career and future life.
Beyond that a lot of skillful knowledge are being imparted to the corps members just so that they are fit enough for the outside world.
For prospective corps members
In a couple of days or thereabout a new set would be going to the various camps across the nation. I would advise potential corps member to be actively involved in camp activities because that’s where the fun actually is.
Join whatever department your interest lies. Don’t be among those that won’t contribute anything to the success of their platoon; physically or financially.
Connect, make friends, socialize, and participate in competitions, because that’s actually where some people meet their sponsors and destiny helpers.
Those three weeks are like kairos moment for some people. It’s better to utilize the time and take advantage of the available opportunitiies
Fellowship
.And then the spiritual activities. I anchored the testimony session for those three weeks at the Nigeria Christian Corpers Fellowship and I would say it was really an honor.
It didn’t come because I was at the hostel in my bed sleeping, but because I was literally involved in almost all the activities of the fellowship.
I joined the choir, drama and media departments. I didn’t feature in any drama rehearsal but I gave my best in the remaining two departments.
I’m sure some people’s spiritual life began to take shape while they were on the camp ground because there was an average of 15 people giving their lives to Christ every Sunday.
But then those three weeks can also be very tempting. For some people it was freedom away from home. They see it as opportunity to escape from the prying eyes of church people and their parents.
Many actually yielded to the temptation to be wayward. They partnered with the devil to abandon their values and allowed the laxities on the camp to swallow them up.
You would wonder why a spirit filled believer would go to the camp and come back a backslider.
It could be very difficult holding firm to your values because almost everything around you seems perverted, in fact you can be sure of seeing perversion all around you.
Talk about some of the songs they sing, the kind of dance, the social events, and the corrupt words coming from people’s mouths; it’s almost like you are surrounded by too many distractions.
But again it takes someone that is very intentional to remain in God and continuously give attention to His word. Thank God for the daily morning devotions by NCCF. They were really a way to keep one in check.
Lessons
Back to the idea of getting a spouse, well, well, well, falling in love with someone in three weeks didn’t make sense to me.
But some experienced it and they are doing quite alright. It’s always hard to decode someone’s behavior in a short space of time. But when God is involved however, he will make the way straight. Like I said, some actually fell in love and they are doing quite alright
In all, humility and respect for everyone were the two key things I learnt in the three weeks I spent at the camp.
People coming from different backgrounds, made the whole camping experience unique and fun. And then the soldiers with their early morning drills are things that are perpetually etched in my memory.
The early morning exercise impacted a lot on everyone’s physical capacity. It was indeed three weeks of unforgettable experience. At least mine was fun, I really do hope yours is also.
