Gathering of the Premiere Youth Leaders at iKapture Networks, Calabar from the 19th of May to June 6th 2014.
On Monday the 19th of May 2014, the much awaited iKapture Networks three week Leadership, entrepreneurship and Personal development training for youth between the ages of 15 to 25 finally kicked off with 12 participants.
The training session began with one hour of orientation to familiarize the participants with the organization, its environs, its ethics, values and expectations from the trainees. Forms to evaluate each training session, writing materials and name tags were distributed to the participants.
We immediately launched into the first one week in-house training proper. The lecture sessions were colorful and spiced with different flavors from the variety of facilitators handling different topics. We had two external and five internal trainers including; Mr. Jonah Benson, Mrs. Ann Mesembe, Miss Grace Ihejiamaizu, Miss Vivian Bassey, Miss Edima Frank, Mr. Kenechukwu Ogbuagu, Mr. Steve Ogar and several volunteers.
Each class began by 9am and ended by 2pm. The participants were served lunch every day at noon day and this was a bonding period for the trainers and facilitators. Everyone was expected to talk, feel free and relax for thirty minutes before the afternoon sessions.
As part of our efforts to help young people ‘learn by doing’, a day was set aside for a general volunteering experience at a chosen location. This exercise was aimed at inculcating the virtues of community service and servant leadership into the heart of the trainees. Apex Nursery and Primary School Int’l was chosen for its proximity to our office. The trainees and the in-house facilitators therefore marched to the school and immediately volunteered to serve.
Some trainees taught the pupils, some supervised classes, some swept the environs, and others washed the bathrooms to the surprise and pleasure of the pupils, teachers and management of the school.
The second week was set aside for a volunteering experience in different partner organizations which included Apex Nursery and Primary school Int’l, Sparks Shop, Gladem Printers, the American Corner and iKapture Networks. Dressed in our cute t-shirts, trainees were distributed in groups of twos and threes to each organization. They were expected to serve and write a daily report of their activities under the supervision of an appointed supervisor at their locations.
By the third week, the trainees were eager to resume classes to meet with their friends and speculate about the excursion that was fixed on Wednesday the 4th of June. We all visited the Drill Ranch on Marian Road Calabar for the excursion. It was an exciting experience as none of the trainees had been there before. The tour guide gave us a fascinating recount of the drill monkey species and its peculiarities. We also saw a couple of antelopes, parrots and a monitor lizard. We were advised to visit the other branches of the drill ranch in Ishie Street off High Way, Calabar and the Head Quarter in Boki LGA, Cross River State.
We had a day set aside for a mentoring experience. The trainees were exposed to young successful individuals to answer life questions concerning career, relationships, business, leadership, academics and their spiritual life. The mentors included Mrs. Ann Mesembe, Mr. Jonah Benson and Mr. Joseph Edet (La Shakara). They also had an agreement to continue the mentorship sessions for one month after the training.
The graduation day was Friday the 6th of June 2014. The trainees were so excited. They gave brief presentations about their stay, experiences and lessons learnt during the YLEAD training. They also gave positive feedback on their aspirations and dreams, promising to accomplish them with all the information and knowledge gathered from the training.
There was a cash prize and a gift awarded to the best student (Miss Blessing Baki) and gifts to the second runners up who had a draw. (Mr. Favour Ihejiamaizu and Emmanuel Okobe).
The trainees also gave a gift to iKapture Networks for a job well done after the presentation of certificates.
The trainees described the YLEAD training in one word and these were their tags; YLEAD is ‘great, amazing, impactful, making sense, nice, encouraging, WOW, inspiring, cool, fine, and wonderful and gbosa!!!’
There was a lot of celebration and refreshment as the ceremony came to an end at exactly on 6th June 2014 at 12.30pm. Preparations are on for the next batch of young leaders and we can’t wait to receive them!
We appreciate everyone who supported and sponsored this effort!
The iKapture Team
Make this holiday well invested for kids and teens.
The search is on for 25 Leaders Changing the Game.