Youth camp seeks to strengthen young people against peer pressure

FOR 18-year-old Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu, the school holidays are not just about sleeping late, spending time with friends or finding ways to pass the time.

This week, he is among scores of young people choosing a different path — one that promises spiritual growth, new friendships and lessons that could help him navigate some of the pressures confronting young people today such as drug and substance abuse.

Ntandoyenkosi is attending For the Strength of Youth (FSY) camp organised by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).

The week-long programme’s aim is to equip young people with values and practical tools to enable them to make sound decisions in the face of peer pressure and other influences.

“I am eager to learn more about spirituality and how it connects to my everyday life,” said Ntandoyenkosi.

For church leaders, the camp is more than just keeping young people occupied during the holidays.

It is an investment in a generation growing up amid increasingly competing voices hence the need for a strong foundation to help them distinguish between influences that build them and those that could destroy them.

Mr Cetshwayo Moyo, First Counsellor in the Bulawayo Stake Presidency of LDS, said the programme was rooted in the belief that values instilled in young people early in life could guide them well into adulthood.

“The main aim of this camp is based on the principle of raising and training a child to be a good citizen,” he said.

Mr Moyo said young people were vulnerable to peer pressure and other external influences and as such they need a strong foundation to be able to resist.

He said the church was therefore seeking to give participants a spiritual anchor which is strong enough to help them make responsible choices in life.

“We understand that youths are vulnerable to peer pressure and other outside influences which can ruin their lives,” he said.

During the week participants will be encouraged to deepen their relationship with God and Jesus Christ while learning to recognise spiritual guidance and apply their faith to everyday situations.

“We want to help them grow spiritually and develop a greater relationship with God,” said Mr Moyo.