By Toyin Adeniyi
The Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos came alive on Monday, August 19 when young people trooped into the place to begin a week-long residential summer camp. It was the first day of the second edition of the annual Summer Camp organized by Chef Lizzy Foundation in conjunction with Beyond African Kids Entrepreneurs.
The event offered an exciting and enriching experience for children ranging from ages 4 to 18.
This year’s edition came with so much enthusiasm and joy, with many participants expressing the wish that the camp would last longer. “I wish this programme was more than a week,” said Divine Samuel, one of the participants.
But it’s not going to exceed a week. It was put together to let the children just have a taste of what it means to be an entrepreneur amidst fun.
Birth of BAKE
Giving an insight into what gave birth to the summer camp for children, Mrs. Elizabeth Sodipo popularly known as Chef Lizzy said, “I’ve been an entrepreneur all my life, and I’ve seen how entrepreneurship can solve problems, and add value to many lives. That is why I thought of an event that will expose children to entrepreneurship and make them begin to have a desire to be productive and contribute to the economy right from their youth”
She emphasized the importance of starting at a young age, saying, “This event plants a seed in them and creates memories they will never forget.”
Giving a personal account of her life, Sodipo said, “I grew up not financially sufficient. Things were difficult for me as a young girl. It was that horrible circumstances that forced me into entrepreneurship right from a young age.
“I had to learn to support my parents years before I went to university. I developed cooking skills and was cooking food for sale to support my parents and also help myself. Over the years, I have had to train people in catering service and also imparted many with other skills.”
The Summer Camp
The Summer camp according to her was designed to provide a serene and supportive environment, ensuring the children are comfortable and well-cared for.
With three nutritious meals a day and a range of skill facilitators, the camp encourages the children to explore activities that may reveal hidden talents.
The curriculum
The 2024 edition which runs from August 19 to 24 features experienced specialists in fields such as photography, music, and marketing, all dedicated to imparting valuable knowledge to the children.
A specialist therapist and one of the camp’s facilitators, Mrs. Abiola, noted, “Some of the kids came knowing they had talents, while others were unsure. We grouped them to help each child discover and develop their unique abilities.”
The camp’s curriculum includes public speaking, music, dance, photography, marketing, and even swimming, which has quickly become a favorite among the kids.
All activities are aimed at helping the children develop into the best versions of themselves, so they can make a positive impact on society.
Not about how many talents
Sodipo highlighted a key lesson she hopes the children will take away: “It’s not about how many talents you have, but about recognizing your talent and using it to solve problems and add value to yourself, your community, and the world at large.”
She explained further, “When others see the results in these kids, they’ll be motivated to join. We have more participants this year than last year, so I’m sure the feedback is bringing in more people.”
Children according to her should be allowed to discover their talents as early as possible. “There are children who have hidden skills and skills that are not too obvious. In this summer camp, our assignment is to be able to discover these skills whether hidden or open, and help them harness them. So far, we have successfully done that going by what we experienced last year.”
Participants views
Some participants who spoke with Church Times were grateful for the opportunity to learn. They describe the training sessions as eye-openers.
“I will say that I have been imparted with the training. I am learning new things about graphic design and marketing which I am passionate about,” said John Solomon.
He expressed the hope that he would like to be a graphic designer in the future irrespective of whatever course he studied at the university.
Also, Akamo Pemilere, another participant, shared with enthusiasm how the boot camp has added to her knowledge base.
“I’ve learned so much, more than I expected, and I will recommend this camp to any kid or teenager who wants to discover their talents or learn a new skill.”
Call for sponsors
The camp is expected to come to an end on Saturday, August 24 with a graduation ceremony and award of certificates for participants.
Read also: How catering business bailed me out of poverty-Elizabeth Sodipohttps://churchtimesnigeria.net/catering-business/
Sodipo expressed the hope and wish that corporate organisations will take advantage of the programme to impact young people and also promote their brands.
“For now, the event is sponsored from my pocket. But I am hoping that we will have corporate organisations come on board to help boost the event in the future,” she said.