‘I got up for fajr, thanks to Islamic camp - student
Fifty two eager and excited students from various Muslim Schools took part in the Muslim Youth Movement’s annual Orientation Camp at As-Salaam Educational Institute in Braemer on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast from 13 to 15 May 2016.
The camp was held against an Islamic backdrop and focussed on Islamic teachings, practice, prayer, growth and development. It was targeted at high school and tertiary students who came from various institutions including the Verulam Islamic Institute, M.A. Motala and the As-Salaam Educational Institute.
Prior to the commencement of the camp, students were required to first register after which they were placed in groups where they had to give a brief introduction about themselves. These groups were allocated specific responsibilities which included kitchen, musjid, lecture-room and sports duties.
The daily programme commenced with Fajr salaah and a halqa session. The appointed group recited a few verses from the Holy Quran with translation and commentary followed by a discussion on these verses. Saturday night featured an exciting cultural event which showcased individual talent in drama, poetry and nazams.
A spokesman for the event said: “The relaxed nature of this session helped students ease into the orientation camp, making it the highlight of the weekend for most students.
“A distinguishing factor of this camp was that it revolved around the salaah time-table which enforces one of the five pillars of Islam. During one of our evaluation sessions, a student pointed out his appreciation for reading his Fajr salaah as this was the first time he had done so.”
Leadership, Volunteerism, Reformation, Sustainability and Career Guidance were topics discussed at the camp.
Students who excelled during the camp would be picked to participate in a week long leadership camp which focuses on skills development, the spokesman said.
MYM student group - Teambuilding Exercise held at 'The Spirit of Adventure Camp' Shongweni Dam
The Muslim Youth Movement believes in fostering the spirit of togetherness and instilling leadership qualities within its members. In keeping with this we have planned and executed a team building exercise for the MYM Student Group. Our most recent visit was to “The Spirit of Adventure Camp” at the Shongweni Dam and Game Reserve on Saturday, the 07th of May 2016. Despite the inclement weather conditions the students persevered and continued with their team building. The aim of this exercise was for the MYM Student Group to discover their strong points within a team as they navigated through a natural setting.
The day’s activities included abseiling, raft building and racing. The abseiling activity required that individual students be strapped backward and go down the dam wall at a drop of 200 metres. As expected many of the students were overcome with fear, however with motivation from the instructor, they were successful in completing the task. While abseiling focused on overcoming individual fear the next activities of raft building and racing had an emphasis on team building. The team had to build a raft and paddle to the other end of the dam and return.
The experience was well reciprocated and the students walked away with new found knowledge.
The MYM orientation camps for high school and tertiary students will be co-ordinated by the same group who attended.The members of the MYM Student Group were recruited through the MYM Camp programmes. The student group has regular meetings and halqa sessions where the planning and execution of programmes such as camps, seminars, workshops and feeding schemes, amongst others are discussed. Previous students from our groups have been placed in various community organizations whilst a few have been elected within the MYM National Executive. The present General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Treasurer, Kwazulu-Natal Regional Chairperson and Gender Co-ordinator are the results of our Student Programmes.
Accommodation for tertiary students
The Muslim Youth Movement rents a house in Claire Estate for the accommodation of tertiary students, with first preference being offered to students academically performing as well as students from disadvantaged backgrounds from outside Durban Metro. The movement also provides meals, counseling and life-skills coaching for the students and make referrals with regards to further bursaries and related issues. The students also participate in the programmes of the MYM.
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