Step Up – Egypt 2013
Last Day
On the last day of camp, we were mostly packing and cleaning. After evaluating the camp, sharing what we learnt from it, along with any last words we wanted to say, and writing on each other’s booklets, it was time to say goodbye. It was difficult for us as staff to watch everyone leave and spend a couple of nights in an empty camp site but we had a nice treat as we got to spend one more day with the French delegation whose flight got cancelled.
We would like to seize this opportunity to thank all the parents and NAs who trusted us with their kids/delegates given the current circumstances that Egypt is witnessing. We also want to thank all the leaders and participants for making this camp an amazing learning experience for all of us and for making it so much fun. We hope that you all go back with the willingness to take initiative and make this world a better place. It all starts with a small action and, together, we can make a huge impact.
We want you to know that we will miss you all a lot. It was a great pleasure to spend three amazing weeks with you guys!
Much Love,
Your Staffies =)
Rich & Poor – Gala Dinner – Casino Night
The youth woke up to find out that only five of them could sleep a bit more and take showers while the others had to wait in the dining hall. Over breakfast, the five rich people were seated on a table with a fancy breakfast, surrounded by the adult group (leaders and staff) who would get them anything they asked for and gave them special attention throughout the day. On the other hand, the poor people had to sit on the floor and their breakfast consisted of bread and beans. Throughout the day, the poor were ignored by the adult group and were not given access to their rooms, the pool or any other hall with air conditioning; of course, they sneaked in a couple of times but they were asked to get out right away. They also had a limited amount of water that was enough for them if they shared it equally between them. The rich had an air conditioned room where they enjoyed their favorite candy while watching movies. When they got bored, they would go to the pool for a swim. During the debriefing, the rich explained that they didn’t share what they had with the poor because they thought this was what they were supposed to do to make the simulation successful. They explained that being isolated from the poor somehow prevented them to have empathy with them. The poor expressed a deep frustration throughout the day because they didn’t have access to many things that they were used to have, but mostly because they felt ignored by the adult group and the rich participants. After sharing how they felt, we started discussing what each of us can do about this inequality that exists everywhere in the world. We concluded that, if each of us took a small action to change this situation, together we will all make a big impact and, in order to do that, we all need to step up and take initiative to help stop human rights violations and to make this world a better place.
After such an exhausting day and such a rich discussion, everyone jumped in the pool to freshen up. Then, we all dressed up for an outdoor, candle-lit gala dinner served by leaders and staff – two lucky boys had two dates each 😉 Afterwards, everyone went to the big hall for Casino Night! We had a slot machine where the leaders’ facial expressions had to match for you to win, a blackjack table, a fortune-teller booth where you could find out your destiny, a camel-race booth, a friendship booth and an amazing bar where you could buy some Elevation-original cocktails such as Pepsi and guava juice (which is actually pretty good if you have the right proportions!)
All in all, it was a great evening and we all had a lot of fun 🙂
Elevation 