Two Dowerglen High School pupils, Tsepang Motlomelo and Kagiso Mdakane, recently took part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) camp.
The pair shared their experiences, along with what they learnt while they were at the camp, with the Edenvale Rotary Club on October 17.
“RYLA is a leadership programme coordinated by Rotary Clubs around the globe. Each year thousands of young people participate in this programme,” said Ms Linda Clarke, the secretary of the Edenvale Rotary Club.
Ms Clarke said while on the camp the the young leaders were supervised by Warriors Academy members.
“The academy gives young people the tools to make a positive difference in their life, and to form strong habits that successful people and winners possess,” said Ms Clarke.
At the Rotary meeting, Tsepang and Kagosi shared the meaning of the acronym of the word warrior which they learnt on the camp.
The pair said the acronym stood for.
- W – Creating win-win situations by helping others to win and become a winner yourself.
- A – Having a good attitude as it determines how far one can go in life.
- R – Respect and loving yourself and those around you.
- R – Be responsible for your actions.
- I – Have integrity and be true to yourself.
- O – Look for opportunities when dealing with problems.
- R – Radiate positivity.
- S – Be symbiotic and do things to help other people.
“Participants are chosen for the camp based on their leadership potential,” said Ms Clarke.
Ms Clarke said every RYLA programme covers the following core topics:
- Fundamentals of leadership.
- Ethics of positive leadership.
- Importance of communication skills in effective leadership.
- Problem-solving and conflict management.
- Rotary’s purpose and service to the community.
- Building self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Elements of community and global citizenship.
