Retreat reflections.....

Though halfway through the week, what a weekend that was! The retreat was simply sensational!

Yes, the excitement to get there was well justified. There was so much to learn for both the students and we the facilitators. From the day we met the kids for the retreat briefing, I knew we were up to some real fun. That was actually made mandatory by the only rule that we all had to be abide by - "Thou shalt have fun!"

From the first day to the last, the only disappointment was that it ended to soon! Apart from the fun, there was lots of leadership activities - games, talks and discussions that went a long way to help us become better and more responsible persons in our spheres of influence, be it in school or at home. You would think the lessons were just for the students.Wrong. I haven't seen such a receptive group of teenagers in a long time. I was impressed by the way the students responded to the issues at hand. From their thoughtfulness in the discussions to their reasoning while debating issues put forward, they demonstrated a great deal of maturity and confidence.

At first, the group was closed up but with time, we got to warm up to each other. Topics that I believe did it for me were: effective communication, peer pressure, personality review, gratitute & never giving up (awesome talk teacher George!) and goal-setting. As I got involved in the activities, I also took time to evaluate myself and was sure to glean a few lessons from the kids. As we imparted the skills, it became apparent to me that the very action was reinforcing the challenge that as a leader, i have to keep getting better in these areas in my own life.

Thanks to teacher George, I still cant believe I could remember the two Starehe school rules that am sure one Mr. Ken Okoth must have memorized at some point many years ago in fear of only ten push-ups! It also became apparent that i should start jogging soon because the students did well to expose my 'good' levels of fitness during the soccer match!

Lastly, the eagerness to succeed in life was written on everyones forehead! I remember answering questions from form one students about university entrance requirements, the grading system and even the number of years it takes one to study for certain careers. It was important to stress the need to 'begin as you mean to end' and as the retreat drew to a close,one student told me he was ready to take on another term at school and that he is not looking back until he gets into university. That was very encouraging to me as a facilitator.

Around the campfire? A moment to behold!

The food? I dare anyone to mention any other place that offers better service that we received!