The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme commenced on the
22nd of May 1973 with the view of promoting national unity, proper
encouragement as well as the development of common ties among Nigeria
youths.
Till date, it has led to a
massive amount of untold stories of lifelong friendships, connections, romances
and most importantly memories. We at Hellocare are after your
best interests, and we would like to offer tips on how to meet the end of camp
in the best of shape. This is because it can be quite psychologically tasking and can
take a huge toll on you physically.
The first day of camp is
registration day and it is a long one. You are in the midst of many and for
those that are flung far away from home, you may not know anyone. Save yourself
mental gymnastics by arriving early and having all the required documents with
you, preferably in a folder you can easily access. You get your NYSC kit and
placed in a platoon on this day.
A typical day at camp starts at
4:30 am with the beagle rousing from your precious slumber. The beagle
signifies parade time when you move to the parade ground and partake in the
activity line up for the day. It usually involves a lot of coordinated
exercises which sometimes can be fun. Get good comfortable trainers to make
this easier. You can also have a bottle of water to refresh you and keep you
dehydrated. That time of the morning is usually quite cold especially in the Northern
parts of the country. You will do well to bring your sweaters along.
Eating and eating well is of
paramount importance. The camp serves breakfast, lunch and dinner at specified
times. You have an alternate option of getting food from the mammy market.
Kindly be selective with where you choose to eat. Observe food stalls at a
distance before feasting on their produce. Hygiene and food safety may be
compromised. Try to eat a balanced diet as much as possible.
Bathrooms and toilets are few
relative to the multitudes of corpers and some corpers will not be too big on
hygiene. The camp is not the place for regular bathroom visits. Pace your
eating and drinking. Be careful with going on adventure trips with your
stomach. Have your disinfectants and hand sanitizers handy.
Lights are out by 10 pm. Waking
up so early consecutively to go for parade activities eventually starts to take
a toll, Getting enough sleep through the night gets you well-rested and
energized for the day's activities.
Remember to take all your
medications along if you have routine medications. Feel free to visit the camp
clinic, they are on hand to help with uncomplicated cases.
Tales of sexual escapades abound
during camp. It is in your best interest to apply caution to desires. There
have been tales of corpers getting caught on the parade ground. You sure don't
want to get caught. More importantly, risky and unprotected sexual behaviour
like having unprotected sexual intercourse may lead to unwanted pregnancy,
increase the risk of unsafe abortion and sexually transmitted diseases.
The NYSC camp is a good opportunity to network among several professions, create memories and meet people. To allow this, you must try to always look and be on the brighter side of things. Have fun at camp, dear Otondo.
Article By: Dr Hidyah Bakare