Eighty-six youths aged 10-19 took part in the Ultimate Youth Camp held at the Goducate Training Center in Iloilo from May 17-19. The purpose of the Ultimate Youth Camp is to train youths in leadership skills.
Some of the campers came from Iloilo Province, some from Guimaras, an island province across the water from Iloilo City, and some from Bacolod, a city on the huge island of Negros, also across the water from Iloilo City. They could register in cash or in kind, in the form of vegetables, meat, or other consumable goods available to them in their community.
On the last day of the camp, 17-year-old Wilhelm Richard Gonzaga stood in front of the other campers reading out the poem he had written about how thankful he was for what he had learned from the camp. All the other testimonials given that day included expressions of sadness about having to bid goodbye to their newfound friends.
Helping the staff who ran and taught at the camp were 7 trained youth leaders and 38 counselors. The counselors, some of whom were the current batch of trainees at Goducate Training Center, had first attended a Camp Counselor’s Training course. Every counsellor was assigned some campers, with whom they spent most of their time together.
Guest writer: Carmela Damaso, Trainee GTC Iloilo