Youth camps in South Africa: understanding their value and working towards improvement

Abstract

To address the growing concern in South Africa about youth who are not in education, employment and training, various policy instruments and programmes have been developed by Government Departments. One of these programmes is the Department of Social Development Youth Camps that are held annually in partnership with the Department of Defence. This study used a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive approach, using interviews and a focus group, to explore the perceptions of camp participants and organisers on the benefits of participating in the youth camps as well as ways to improve the camps. The study revealed that there are positive youth development benefits derived by DSD youth camp participants. These include leadership, communication and youth structure development. The study identified an array of challenges that beset the implementation of the camp in the areas of content, co-ordination and logistics. The study concluded that despite the benefits that camp participants derive from the camp, the numerous challenges that beset the camp, and the perceived drop in quality, are severe enough to can undermine the overall goal attainment in the long run. The study therefore makes recommendations for dealing with these challenges and improving the achievement of camp goals and objectives.