Celebrating Youth Skills Day: Stories from Learn to Play Youth Volunteers

This past Monday, in honor of Youth Skills Day, we caught up with a few of our dedicated Learn to Play (LTP) volunteers. We wanted to know how their time with LTP has shaped their skills, their personal growth, and their views on youth development in Africa. Unsurprisingly, their young perspectives and views have given us at LTP some food for thought.?

Before diving into their insights, here's a closer look at the impactful work they’re doing. Our volunteers are the creative minds behind the Parent Playbox Project, which provides caregivers with a year-long program of play-based activities to support their children's development. This initiative equips caregivers and children with weekly play-based activities through engaging videos. Each week, one volunteer stars in the videos with a child to demonstrate the activities, Samara and Thabile? handle the filming, and Nayantara takes care of editing. Without them, Learn to Play wouldn’t be able to deliver these valuable resources to parents and children. Their dedication and creativity have been crucial in making the Parent Playbox a success.

Developing Essential Skills through Volunteering

For many of our volunteers, their journey with Learn to Play has been anything but ordinary. One standout aspect they highlighted was learning to work with a diverse array of people.

Thabile reflected, "I believe I have developed skills in working with different types of people effectively and being able to relate with those unlike myself. These skills will help me in my future endeavors as a creative, considering it is a very collaborative field."

Samara shared, "During my experience with Learn to Play, I have acquired essential communication skills for interacting with people older than me, peers, and children. Specifically, when communicating with children, I have learned to convey clear and precise instructions. Additionally, I have developed greater patience and feel I have grown into a better person."

Youth Skills Day is the perfect reminder of how important these interpersonal skills are. Volunteering gives people a unique chance to connect with individuals from all walks of life, and it's amazing to see how these experiences can shape our futures.

The future of Botswana is Bright (and not just because of the very hot sun)

The future of Botswana is bright, and a big part of that comes from innovative education and play. Our volunteers emphasized that developing skills through creative and tailored educational approaches can create a youth that is well-prepared for both careers and life.

Thabile passionately explained, "Developing skills by play and education can contribute to Botswana's future growth through programs geared towards creative approaches to teaching that fit the individual learner's needs."

Samara added, "I believe that developing skills through play and education will contribute to Botswana’s future growth and development by teaching the youth the value of life, gratitude for those around them, and a sense of self-esteem from an early age."

It's inspiring to see how play and education can create progress, especially on a day like Youth Skills Day.

Innovative Ideas for Youth Empowerment

Our volunteers didn’t hold back on sharing their brilliant ideas for empowering youth in Africa. One of the standout suggestions was to create initiatives for older children to learn self-management skills through play. For instance, community sports clubs could be a platform where young people gather to play sports and learn essential life skills.

"Maybe something like community sports clubs where young people could come together to play a sport and life skills could be taught in the context of the sport," suggested Thabile.?

Understanding Local Challenges and Opportunities

Volunteering with LTP has also opened our eyes to the unique challenges and opportunities faced by youth in Botswana. Thabile shared her discovery about the refugee camp in Dukwi. "I, for one, never knew there was a refugee camp in Dukwi in Botswana until I began volunteering at LTP. In learning more about the playgroup there and how it came to be, I realised that in the aftermath of a time of emergency needs or crisis, children can be forgotten ..."

Nyantara added, "Volunteering with Learn to Play has taught me not to take even what I might deem the most rudimentary of skills, such as writing, drawing or counting, for granted. I never understood the amount of effort from the support system around me that went in to ensuring that I developed these essential skills, and so being able to see the inequality in access to education, which is a human right and an SDG, through Learn to Play has been humbling."

These stories highlight the importance of programs like LTP, which aim to bring attention to overlooked areas and provide much-needed support. Understanding these challenges helps us better address the needs of vulnerable children and make a positive impact in their lives.

Final Thoughts

Youth Skills Day is a perfect reminder of the significance of our work at Learn to Play. From fostering essential skills through teamwork to innovative educational approaches, our volunteers are helping shape a brighter future for kids in Botswana and beyond. Catching up with our volunteers was truly inspiring. Their stories and reflections made it clear how much they’ve grown and how their work is making a difference. Join us in supporting and expanding Learn to Play [Link to volunteer]