ISCO Foundation Volunteer: Five Highlights from ISCO Youth Camp: Aku Mandiri

Each Year, ISCO Foundation organises a Youh Camp for over 50 Junior and Senior High School students from areas sponsored in Jakarta and Depok.

Growing up in Sydney, my parents never missed an opportunity to send me away for a week-be it a sport camp, youth movement or band camp. Some of these camps I would rather forget, so much so, I still wake up sweating after a bad dream, thinking im back at 'Counterpoint Camp'.

For better or worse, camps are an essential part of childhood and adolescence. ISCO's Youth Camp-'Aku Mandiri', means 'I Can Be Independent' and was located at Desa Picung Bogor.

I had been given two instructions the night before. "Ben, charge this video camera" and "Meet at Ancol Guyang Station at 7am. Dont be late!"

I woke up (grudgingly) at 5.30. I turned the light switch on, but the light bulb was not so accomodating. The electricity meter outside my room had been switched off. Consequently, both my mobile phone AND the video camera were depressingly low on battery.

Thankfully, I was only 7 minutes late to Ancol Stasiun. I was greeted by ISCO children from Pademangan. The Tronton (an army truck) was full with 20 children in the back. I had a seat in the middle next to the driver... or so I thought. We still had to collect another 24 children from Semanan. Acchhhhh, Penuh Sekali! Now it was 'full'. I found a 'seat' lying down behind the driver. It was no Greyhounds Chartered Bus.