When I found out about the Youthzones workshop that I would be part of, I really didn't know what to expect: was it going to be a formal gathering were we all get together and speak of how great Youthzones is, would we be introduced to well booked people who know everything, people who exaggerated real life experiences and made legend of reality, dreamers, or at the furthest extent party animals who did not care much about the actual workshop...

These questions loomed in my head as I asked about the exact location of the venue only to be dilly daddled by the modest sight before me, right next to the Shoprite U-Save shop on Harrison Street were black butler gates that for all my +20 years being bred in Johannesburg I had ignored but was anxious to what I would find inside, would all my questions be answered right here?

Walking right in I found myself in pleasurable demise, I didn't know where to start in my conquest figuring what this is really about and still stick to my principles of "real" being, where remaining true to yourself is best over circumstances...

This was the best camp I've ever been to!

Simple. Thats how it was, more than looking/sounding good this camp re-assured me of the similarities that we as Africans have and through random interactive interactions with my peers I realised that we are one. We all had a common vision: A better life for all. This was stamped in my head and heart by how we all got along and within hours shared our lives as if we knew each other for decades.

We had a monitoring and evaluation session with Bra Joe, where he guided us through a questionnaire with funny questions like "how often do you use a condom?" Bra Joe being a criminologist shared stories about the differences in life we have and how crime sourced some differences in how and who we are, how we are all criminals by keeping quiet or accepting certain crimes being committed, what we can do about it and introduced us to methods of well being used in criminology like "cognitive restructuring" implemented in several countries. His session was grooling but enjoyed because he was open to conversation about the current state of affairs and let us in simple ways that could in effect make a difference.

Just as I was coming down from my high of new things that I had learned from Bra Joe, friends from Oasis South Africa made stuff worse for me as they spoke about leadership and how it's so simple to acclaim the work we do as "helping others" whilst we ourselves need help and are broken. They opened wounds that did not heal well in me by introducing the "rhythm of life" philosophy and emphasising the will to make the guidelines they showed us intentional!! I found it really deep, and concede that before I can effectively make a difference in my community I should strive to find a progressive rhythm to my life. The challenge is on.

Thank you Youthzones and leaders for making the past 2 days incredible for me I enjoyed the conversations we had, especially the informal ones, may your most precious wishes come true!