Five-Day School of Life
Early May witnessed the traditional jamboree-cum-hike of children’s, teenagers’, and volunteer squads called Along the Roads of the Cossacks. It was the fourth time that hospitable Cherkasy oblast played host to almost 3500 participants. A whole tent country spread out on the banks of the Ros River, divided into five townships completely run by the hikers themselves, children and young people from seven years up.
The current Cossack Roads, held, as usual, on the initiative of Kyiv Union of Children’s and Youth Organizations and the Kyiv City Administration Youth Social Service, was attended by representatives of fourteen Ukrainian oblasts, the Republic of the Crimea, and even Saint Petersburg.
The young came here not only to have fun. Quite the contrary, this was first of all a good opportunity for them to share experience in implementing social programs and projects. For most of the jamboree participants are social service volunteers who helped the disabled and homeless children, organized games, and provided information support. They could upgrade their skills at workshops and training sessions held throughout the event and dedicated to varied subjects ranging from practical psychology to survival schools. One could also major and take an exam in cooking, journalism, and survival in the fashion of Robinson Crusoe. For the hike not to resemble a common school in field conditions, the organizers suggested games for different age categories, each of which was also, in reality, sort of an exam in stamina, patience, and tenacity. This is no accident, for the camp is based on the American scouting principle that each should be able to do everything him or herself, without outside assistance. And there is no division of labor between the genders.
“We do not want to raise consumers and helpless people,” says Oleksandr Kuzmenko, board chairman of the Kyiv Union of Children’s and Teenagers’ Organizations. “If you want to go places, you must learn already in your childhood to do everything yourself, to develop a strong character and willpower.”
Surprisingly, the participants themselves completely agree. For example, 14-year-old Mariya says Cossack Roads is a school of life, because she learned here not only to cook and give first aid but also to find a quick way out of complicated everyday life situations. And according to the ten-year-old Andriy, only here did he understand what it means to be on your own.
What became the gem of the action was Say Yes to Children organized on the eve of the Special Session for Children slated forSeptember in New York. To enable children to express their own opinion on their position in society and perhaps even to give a piece of advice, the jamboree held an assay contest on children’s rights, while the uninitiated had a chance to learn this by watching films and cartoons on the topic. In fact, it later turned out that the originally good concept was not destined to be fully implemented, for most children never managed to give a clear picture of their rights or of their attitude toward this worldwide action.
Yet, whatever the case, we can say with confidence that the eleventh jamboree was a success. The five days flew by in a flash: training sessions, workshops, concerts, and evening fireside chats with friends. Leaving for home, many youngsters cast small coins into the Ros (a good omen for return). Does this not prove that overprotection and excessive restraint of children is not always the best policy?
