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Due to the
popular demand, the R.o.c.k. Camp has been a huge "look
forward to" for many children. Many of the teens have
complimented our Camps to such a degree, that the small children
are now most annoyed that they are not big enough to come with!
R.o.c.k. Takes a bunch of
+- 130 teenagers to either the Magaliesberg, or a now recently,
Heidelberg. Here we have a 7-day camp where the children as well
as Team are split into 8 rival teams. These teams compete in
everything – from athletics, to cleaning, to keeping quite,
to washing the directors' car!
The more work we see from a
team, the more points is allocated to them. The more they mess
around, disobey or do net work with their groups, the more points
are subtracted from the entire team. Then the team will get angry
at the particular person and we get to keep our voices from a
shouting match with a child!
It's also vital to be quiet
each day where children are taught a "workshop". Here
they can either go hiking in the mountains, do art or
leatherwork, learn a dance, learn to swim, be taught about
banking and opening basic bank accounts, be taught a drama or
music and much more.
Many of the children want a
2-week Camp, but I don't think my Team will last the walk!
Sadly to say, he sponsorship
for these Camps is extremely bad. One must remember it's 3 meals
a day, water and lights, the bus trip there and back, art
equipment, sound equipment, fuel for our cars and the lodging for
each child.
When one totals the whole
amount, R46,000-00 stares back at you.
Many have asked, "then
why run the camp?" Good question. Why take 130 rowdy teens
away for a week when I could rather go to some resort. Here I've
stress, responsibility and loads of worries!
Yet, at the end of the day,
nine years later even, one looks back and don't regret one
minutes work.
Every minute that you spend
counselling those children, is determining what tomorrows adults
are going to be like.
I've (along with my faithful
co-worker Jonathan) have run our eight Camp this year. This
year, children from our first Camp were leaders. On our 1st
Camp they were age 14, they are now 21. Jonathan and I watched
them grow, get matric, get work – and we all met – on a
Camp!!
If you can sponsor our Camps,
please make your cheques out to:
R.O.C.K.
Nedbank, Lynnwood Ridge
Cheque acc, 1618010018
(Funding no: 02 200081 000 3)
Or you can contact us directly:
Sally Blake +27 82 588-1866
Jonathan Webber +27 82 337-7045
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