180 children join Hap Seng youth camps
TAWAU: Our youths are the movers and shakers of the nation. Following the success of its Summer Camp 2017, Hap Seng Group organised two back to back, free of charge Super Micro Leader Camps for the youth of Tawau this year, attracting 180 participants aged 10 to 12.
For this year's leadership programme, Hap Seng Group and its implementation partner, Leaderonomics expanded the programme to include various monthly activities throughout the year, on top of the camps namely ‘train the trainer' trainings, community leadership club and parents engagement sessions.
High potential participants from the 2017 camp were selected and further groomed as leaders with the involvement of their parents and community volunteers. As part of this year's programme, these high potential youth were also the facilitators' assistants during the Super Micro Leader Camps.
“We envision Tawau as a selfsustaining community where everyone including parents, schools, corporations and professionals play a role in guiding and investing in the development of our future generation. The youth, as they progress in life, would contribute back to society and we, as an ecosystem, should support each other to develop our youth in becoming future leaders in their own rights - full of integrity, capability and good character,” said Amidah Abidin, CSR Senior Manager of Hap Seng Group during the closing ceremony at the final camp on Dec 8.
Both camps were held at Bandar Sri Indah Sports Complex from Dec 3 to 5 and Dec 6 to 8 respectively together with the local volunteers. These camps aimed to bring about positive change within the community by nurturing young leaders with exemplary character. Four main values are incorporated into the camps' Journey Around the World theme, which are Determination, Decisiveness, Forgiveness and Truthfulness, all while learning unique leadership lessons.
Each camp culminated with the presentation of Make A Difference (MAD) projects by the participants to showcase the application of knowledge and skills learnt that would positively impact the Tawau community in a practical and tangible way.
One of the participants, Yu Yen Yang, 12, from SJKC Pai Sheng, Kunak enjoyed the opportunity to make new friends and learn new things at the camp.
“I like the camp because I can improve my English and Bahasa Malaysia. I can meet new friends and learn more about leadership and how to be a leader. I enjoyed most of the activities at the stations especially learning Kung Fu! I will definitely invite my friends to join the camp next time. The camp is really good,” said Yen Yang.
“Our hope is singular - that the kids will rise and grow to be the best versions of themselves, always seeing value in external circumstances, however hard or easy they may seem, staying rooted to sound leadership principles, and cultivating the right habits that build leadership character, extending itself out in love,” Leaderonomics Master Trainer, Yasir Osman explained succinctly.
“We want kids to know that leadership is not always easy but it is the hard things that grow them, helping them see meaning and purpose, and therefore motivating them to see opportunity in adversity, thus cultivating a growth mindset. After all, smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. There is a cost to leadership, but we want the kids to know that it is worth it. They are the change agents that Tawau needs,” he said.