Camps have always been tremendous learning experiences for children. Such occasional separations from a familiar environment - spending time far away from the meticulous care of their parents and the comfort of their own beds - promote the embracement of new relationships and unprecedented experiences. Some might rejoice for the break in routines, others might fear, but having gone through it, none would regret and all would learn.

In order to design a camp of learning experiences vastly different from one’s every day life, a handful of fresh considerations were made for EP Camp 2004 aptly themed D.I.Y. (Do-It-Yourself). YMCA ( Singapore), with its wealth of knowledge and resources in camp-organizing, was truly forthcoming in supporting the idea of co-organizing a camp for the EP trainees. Along with them came a group of ACJC students who unfailingly took great care of the children through out the camp. These friends had made possible the introduction of a new feature to the 2004 camp where siblings of the trainees were invited to join in the 2 days of fun learning. Siblings who were older than 12 years old were included as assistant volunteers. These new attempts would seethe strengthening of bonds and formation of new friendships during the 2 days of camp.

DIY Camp 2004 started with a brisk introduction to the camp site, ITE Tampines, before the commencement of interactive games that brought the campers of all ages together for a turbulence of fun. Learning was consistently incorporated into the camp activities where the children had the chance to learn simple craftworks and see the final product of their own effort. They were taught to make paper bags, musical instruments and T-shirt printings, of which the end-product were eventually needed and appreciated in the subsequent activities, such as the camp fire session. The night of camp fire proved to be highly-charged with fun and activity that got the campers on their feet dancing. Despite a heavy rain on Sunday, a series of telematches and water games kept their spirit up. Simple fun filled the camp with joy where even the most mundane tasks were enjoyable. The children had a taste of open-field cooking when they were required to cook their own noodles and. Food from their own effort never fails to taste a little sweeter!

The essence of the camp lied in the interactions between the campers and the formation of new and deeper ties. It was exceptionally moving to see the siblings guide the new volunteers in taking care of their kin and at the same time coming forward to take care of other trainees. Strangers turned into friends and apprehension was dismissed by sincerity.

It was a “first” for many in this camp. Many of the new volunteers took their first infant steps in reaching out to the intellectually disabled and siblings began understanding a little more about intellectual disability from more than just their brother’s or sister’s perspective. Looking back at the 3 camps that EP had since 2002, it is hard not to notice the presence of our new members and the absence of our ex-trainees who had been transferred to other projects to engage in the next stage of their new purposeful journey of life. One ponders if EP would continue to guide these new trainees in their growing up years as fruitfully as it had for those who had left us in their adulthood. EP Camp 2004 has reminded us that the only fuel to keep the spirit burning is our willingness and belief to push on. EP’s new journey with the younger ones would indubitably be an arduous one but the remembrance of our ex-trainees leading purposeful adult lives serves as the light at the end of the tunnel.

And lastly, the tinge of sweetness layered onto our memories of 2004 EP Camp was only made possible by the conviction of the organizing committee who braved through the bitterness of those testing times. We can’t thank them more by remembering these times and carry on believing in the cause of an EP Camp. Only the realization of EP Camp 2005 could be their testimony. Thank you.