Bern, Switzerland. [CD-EUDNews]. Social responsibility project in Camporee 2019 sets an unexpected amount of donations from teenager participants. Organizers and beneficiaries surprised by the liberal spirit of Pathfinders, that preferred help children in risk than use talents earned in activities.
The idea was as simple as efficient: Pathfinders were challenged to participate in theme workshops where, besides learning, they earned some small pearls, called talents, and very precious Joshua Card (50 talents each). They could spend those in City Life (a special programme where pathfinders could buy food or activities) and Special Activities, thought of to give them very impressive emotions and memories. But there was another destiny they could give talents and cards. They were informed about the ADRA project to help 30 children in São Tomé, meaning that their donations would help feed and send to school those children in need for a whole year. They would only have to give talents and cards and donors would cover their generosity with real money.
The fact was Camporee participants were really moved by the information they were given and decided to intervene, by winning talents and cards. They recognized the sad reality that 262M children, teens and young people are denied to proper education in the World, even if education is a basic human right and a hugely important levelling factor in society. And, above all, they understood they had a role to play.
The goal of the Pathfinders to gather in donations was 10.000 talents or 200 cards. To achieve it they would have to donate some of their talents and cards instead of using them to eat or play games in City Life or doing amazing Special Activities.
Surprisingly at the final morning Pastor Jonatan Tejel announced an amazing amount of 76.951 talent raised by Pathfinders! This is almost eight times the goal figure and all because they preferred to help children in need in a far country than to have a little bit more fun in Camporee. “There is hope in the future”, referred João Martins, the Executive Director of ADRA Europe. “When we see the altruistic behavior of all these pathfinders, we can be sure that being sensitive to the needs of others is part of their character.”
This project was a high point in Camporee. The interest and giving spirit of Pathfinders inspired organizers and beneficiaries to commit even more in social responsibility programs. This project was integrated into the ADRA Global Advocacy Campaign “Every Child Everywhere at School” ( https://inschool.adra.org/ ), where signatures are being collected to influence the leaders of the world to provide access to education for all children. During the Camporee, hundreds of teens above 14 have signed up as advocates of this campaign.
During the Camporee, the pathfinders also had the opportunity to participate in a workshop representing challenging situations that refugees face when arriving in different countries. By participating in some small games, the teens were able to experience the need to purify water, carrying belongings under challenging situations, and adapting to new food and languages. This activity was a funny way to understand the difficulties that refugees face, and to increase the sense of solidarity with them.
Yes, this Camporee was epic, not only it was the biggest one in EUD, the first one in Portugal and Pathfinders had a great, great time. It was epic especially because they reminded and helped so many of their peers in such a moving, wonderful way: by a loving conscience of self-denial.
