Inspire the Growth of Kazakhstan's Global Citizens

It gets hot here in the summer, and young people need to find constructive ways to chill out, have some fun and survive the heat. 

This summer, Salem Social Village put on a Youth Leadership Camp over two days to provide not only a lot of fun, but also a significant purpose by training young people in leadership-related topics. And when we say training, that's activity-based learning with a whole lot of time for reflection and discussion, not the 'lecture and take lots of notes' approach.

Team-building activities and seminars were supplemented, Salem Social Village style, with some experiential learning initiatives focussed on raising awareness of social issues. This included 'Living on wheels' simulation, with the young people sent out into the city with a wheelchair to get a first hand experience of just how hard it is being disabled. They also went through our AIDS Xperience to understand the lives of those at risk of HIV/AIDS infection, and how normal people can be put at risk.

This was the highlight of the summer at Salem, but there was so much else going on too, including a rock concert attended by over 700 people - but that will have to wait until next time.

Thanks again from everyone at Salem for your support in helping us to continue challenging discrimination, training future leaders, and bringing change to society here. It can be a lot of fun, but it's always purposeful.

Recently the young people from our new club SalemYouth took part in Salem's AIDS Xperience simulation. This project develops empathy and compassion towards people suffering with HIV/AIDS, and enables a deeper understanding of the experience of someone at risk of contracting this virus.

The photo above was taken after the event, as they all took time to take in what they had just experienced. A tiem for some serious reflection rather than celebration.

Along with the young people from SalemYouth, a journalist from the newspaper 'South Kazakhstan', Oxana Sivtsova, took part in the AIDS Xperience, and her article about it was published in the paper.

You can read her full article on our website, but she was clearly very impacted by the AIDS Xperience, writing "...this is explosive. I felt like a bomb had gone off inside me, and it was clear that the other participants felt just the same, as we realised that no one is insured against such a disaster as this."

This is an important aspect of our goal to educate young people in global issues, but we're also pursuing new attitudes and understanding in lighter ways, like the day conference we hosted to give people the chance to discuss issues relating to career choices.

Added to that, the World Without Limit social club for people with disabilities continues to go from strength to strength, as this recent video shows. We know how to be serious, but we also know how to have fun!

Thanks again for all your support of Salem Social Village.

Links:

• Watch the World Without Limits social club having fun!
• Read the journalist's full account of her AIDS Xperience
• Read more about April Fest, advice about career choices