A Positive Outcome for Youth

Sofifran widened its reach once again this year by offering a summer camp, a first for the organization. From July 2 to August 2, about twenty children took part in an experience built around the arts in all their forms, with a multicultural touch.

“Parents felt it was quite an original camp,” says Fété Kimpiobi, executive director of Sofifran. Designed for young people aged 5 to 12, the activities ran from Monday to Friday and were so popular that children registered for a single week successfully asked their parents to sign them up again for the rest of the camp. Several parents also suggested that the program be offered during March break, and said they would like to register their children again next summer if the opportunity comes up.

This summer camp was therefore an undeniable success, and the credit goes not only to the Sofifran team but also to its partner in the program: the organization Unik. Led by Justine Gogoua, Unik was responsible for the activities, which proved to be wonderfully varied. The young people tried painting, drawing, dance, improv theatre, music and more. It was more than a simple introduction to these disciplines, because over four weeks everyone’s progress was visible, all the more so since each participant was guided according to their own potential and interests.

“They were given the freedom to create,” notes Ms. Kimpiobi. That freedom encouraged the children to put even more passion into their creations, especially the exhibition and the show that closed each week and to which parents were invited. Those were the moments when the value and the purpose of this summer camp shone the brightest.

Will there be a follow-up to this pilot project? It is hard to say for now, but many people, young and old alike, are hoping for one.

PHOTO (Photo credit: Sofifran). The young people had the chance to create theatre and music performances.