RED CRESCENT CAMP

By Hazel Hanif
Ive never felt this nervous before going to camp I said aloud as we were heading
towards Nur Laman Bestari, Ulu Yam. And mind you, Ive been to a lot of camps. And
the reason for this; instead of being a participant, this time around, Im one of the
facilitators. The half an hour trip to Ulu Yam was filled with scenarios in my mind of
how the camp could go wrong. What if they dont enjoy their time? What if the other
committee members slash camp facilitators screw up? Boy, I tell you, it was not a
pleasant journey.
Weeks before camp were spent with unproductive meetings which will start with Okay
what are we going to do for camp? and ends with the same question. Imagine spending
an hour staring into faces who, in turn, will blankly stare at you. But we calmed ourselves
by saying that it is normal for a Melawati Red Crescent member to do things at the very
last minute. As if understanding the burden which was weighing heavily on our backs,
God sent help by miraculously lighting up a bulb inside our heads, exactly a week before
camp. Ideas were being poured out, and each committee member was excited to make
this camp a success.
Once we reached the campsite, 25 participants were split into 6 groups. For most of them,
it was their first time talking to each other, and for some, their first time knowing the
others name. Awkward smiles and polite talks were exchanged as each team had to come
up with their teams name, cheers and design their own flag. Later that night, they were
taught the procedures of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), a lifesaving technique
useful in many emergencies, including heart attacks and near drowning, in which a
persons heartbeat or breathing has stopped. They were also taught how to use the
triangular bandage (more lovingly known as kain anduh) in cases of bone fracture or
wounds. The right way of carrying a victim who is on a stretcher was also taught. All of
the above, I believe, is knowledge essential to any Red Crescent member.
If they thought that this camp would be all about sitting around in an air-conditioned hall,
relaxing and learning, they were wrong. Later that night, we had an activity which most
people know as burung hantu. As the cold night air kissed our skin, as the participants
were tying a cloth around their eyes, serious speeches were given. Talks about how only
if they were brave and full of spirit, would they be able to survive this activity. For
most, burung hantu means nothing to them. But for some, tears were slowly rolling down
their faces, asking us to excuse them from this activity. But being the mean facilitators
that we are, we refused. After an hour or so when we ask them to untie the cloth that
covered their eyes, did they realized what truly happened, that they were never alone in
the first place and the ghosts around them, were just mere mortals. Laughter filled the

cold night air.

The second day, I believe both participants and facilitators agree, would be the most
interesting day throughout camp. We spent the morning getting ourselves wet with an
activity by the name; water obstacle. Each member has to hold on to a long piece of rope.
Attached to it were 3 matches and a candle. The idea of the game is to go through the
river, while never letting go of the rope and by the end of the obstacle course, light up the
candle. Sounds simple, yes? Well, imagine nine facilitators, walking upstream, where the
waters flowed angrier by the second and whenever we reach a bamboo stick hung
between two rocks, we had to go underneath it. The waters were so swift, I thought the
Grimm Ripper was hovering above my head. Bruised and sore after hitting ourselves on
rocks, choking on water and basically fighting our way through the river, we were
laughing. Our candle did not light up, but its okay. We had fun.
Later that evening, we did something called a simulation activity. During this activity, the
participants knowledge, gained the previous night, were tested. Our very two talented
makeup artists, Aida Iliana and Harris Shah, did a splendid job in creating fake injuries,
which, in fact, did not look fake at all. Sofiya and I had a hard time containing our
laughter as the teams took turns aiding the victims who were so loud they even attracted
the the attention of the staff of Nur Laman Bestari.
Tired and lack of sleep as we were, did not dampen our spirits to dress up according to
the theme for Cultural Night, which was Chinese New Year. Sounds of Nature
(performing using things such as sticks and stones) and different tasks were given to each
team. From renditions of Half A Heart, Iron Man and The Cup Song to original poems
and drama, it was a good night. I had a great time watching each teams performance.
Best part? I can see the walls between each of us were crumbling, and on that night, we
were just high school students, enjoying ourselves in each others company, glad to be
away from everything else and just trying to live in the moment. Later, we had a feast of
toasted marshmallows and sausages, accompanied by the warmth of a campfire. You can
get lost, staring at the sparks of fire dancing with the night sky as its background.
The next day, after trekking through a forest and getting to know new kinds of plants and
its uses, was the time for the closing ceremony. Team Green Lantern, which consists of
Khadijah Ashaari, Hidayah Azzakiah, Amin Azman and Redhuan, emerged as best team.
Khadijah was also one of the best participants, alongside Akif Hadri.
Overall, it was better than expected. I had a great time, and this would be a memory that I
would never forget. As the chairman of BSMM Melawati for the second year running,
this camp means a lot to me. A big thank you to my friends whom Im not ashamed to
call family, for making this camp possible; Sofiya, Syahmi, Izzat, Harris, Aida, Nurin
Jazlina, Ikmal, Ashilah and Ariqah. To Puan Rohaini, Puan Siti Noor, Puan Aziatul

Akmar, Puan Mariam and Puan Syafawati, thank you for believing in us. To BSMM
MWT members; always remember this: Forever United