In pursuance of its objective to capacitate youth and children in various aspects, the Foundation for the Development of Agusanons, Inc. (FDAI) held a 3-day Children and Youth Leadership and Development Camp. Held on July 26 – 28, 2019 at Hygeia IntegraMeds Center, Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, the Camp was participated in by youth and children from the municipalities of Talacogon, La Paz, San Francisco, and Esperanza, all of Agusan Del Sur Province. The said municipalities are project areas of Kindernothilfe Germany/Philippines-funded Self-Help Approach – Children-Focused Community Development (SHA-CFCD). Knowing the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation and imparting the need for concerted actions to address such; FDAI decided to have the Camp’s theme as “KABATAAN… Kinaiyahan… Pangulohan”.
It is not the first time that FDAI holds Children and Youth Camp. But this year’s Children and Youth Camp is made more special by the co-sponsorship of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), which facilitated the whole of second day of the activity. Advancing the contents of its signature program/module dubbed as Kabataan Karapatan Caravan, CHR personnel took turns in emphasizing the rights of the child as contained in the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child and the relevant laws, policies, and regulations that are aimed at protecting the same rights.
The 2nd day of the Camp was concluded with a workshop that had participants discussing/answering the following:
- Issues and Concerns in the
- House
- School
- Community
- Barangay
- Causes and Effects of the Identified Issues and Concerns
- Recommendations on how the Government can address the Identified Issues and Concerns
The third day of the Camp started with a Fruit Tree Parenting Activity within the Hygeia Center. Each participant was provided with the opportunity to plant/nurture fruit trees while being encouraged to do the same in their backyard or in their farms.
Formal sessions on the third day saw the participants in breakout sessions. Participants were asked to choose one and enrol in any of the following:
- Sexual Orientation on Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE)
- Production of Organic Fermentation and Concoction
- Drug Abuse Prevention
- Art in Garbage
- Theatre and Arts
Having been instructed to do good because they would present their outputs/learning in the evening’s activity, the participants were all intent in listening and participating in the breakout sessions.
Third day of the Camp was capped with a Planning Session that asked the participants to think of ways to make their communities become better places and to enumerate the things that they all deserve.
The Camp was concluded with a Solidarity Night that featured, among others, creative presentations depicting what the participants learned from the breakout sessions.
