One Year As A Youth Corper. (On Hold)

My Experience in Camp.

       It was a glorious morning and it didn't start well. Despite the fact I was ready by 4am, I didn't get to the park until 10am and I couldn't leave until 12:30 pm. I was so frustrated I wanted to cry. I just believed God had His reason for letting it all happen.

     Anyway I got to Okada Camp (Benin) by 4:30pm and goodness me, drills had already started. I was thankful that our camp wasn't like those camps that they make you carry your luggage on your head while doing frog jump because there was no way I could have done it. My load wasn't heavy but neither was it light.

     After going through the stress of clearance and getting a room, I had to call it a day by 8pm to unpack. If you are going to Edo Camp please and please get there early, if you get sent to the back, OYO is your case. I continued clearance the next day and since I hadn't gotten my kit I was left alone by the military men.
   
   Later that day I got my kit then I had to go around asking people with a small pair to exchange with mine, which was two sizes bigger. I got use to the bugle which will both be a deliverer and slave master in the days to come.

     As long as you are in your white once it's time to be on the parade ground nothing on Earth, except illness, will exempt you from it. If you remove the fact that you are being woken early ,then rushed around and shouted upon to double up, one will enjoy it. I was fortunate to have been used to waking up before 4am some days that waking up at that time was a child's play.  A big thank you to TDU and the Boys for making me ready for camp.

    If you have shades please take it along, if you don't buy. The sun was cracking hot. In fact , I am darker than I was. The rate at which people fainted was quite alarming. At least two people fainted per day. It was the combination of the sun ,the standing and little water intake. Thankfully, the Red Cross were always ready to run in and carry them away for treatment.

      There are two times in a day you are required to stand still no matter where you are: at 6am and 6pm when Nigeria is 'waking up and sleeps' respectively. If you are caught moving ,my friend pray that the soldier is the 'nice' one who will make you just pick around the premises or make you do frog jump or even roll in your white round the field because the worst is best left to your imagination. Don't be the scapegoat.

    Mammy market is quite something else. I had heard of it but it was like nothing I had expected. It was an open stall market where anyone could enter at will to get whatever you wanted. The trick is that you have money. My favourite place was Uncle Charles Kitchen. Yes. That is the actual name. His meals are wonderful and the only downside was that it takes time to order especially if what you ordered isn't in the menu as there are others ordering too.

   Most times you wouldn't like what they made in the Camp kitchen, I would advise you go to Mammy Market on the days they make beans which is often. I don't know if it's because I personally don't like beans that much but if you do , enjoy it. Beans is cooked at least once every day either mixed with rice or yam or made as a porridge on it's own. Just make sure you have water for toilet available. And make sure you use the toilet before going to the parade ground because soldiers can be funny at times. They might not let you go.

   SAED and Lectures: don't stay away from them. It can be tiring, you will get frustrated at times but believe me when I say the positives out weight the negatives. I chose Cosmetology for my SAED and it was fun representing us on the exhibition day. More importantly I can make my own soap, body lotion , shampoo and cologne.

     There were activities such as dancing, singing, beauty and debates competitions. It was fun but I only went for Miss Big Bold and Beautiful because my friend was in it and she, from my platoon, won 3rd place. There was competitions for everything. From cleanness, sanitation, kitchen duty to parade. You are judged by platoons. Platoon 7 won best over all . They deserved it. Best teamwork I had ever seen. My platoon won second overall,not bad at all.

     I made friends who made me laugh, cried and even got me into trouble but what are friends for? The trouble? I had a friend, David whose  friend, Feyi jokingly calls him my son and I was always rejecting it but the day I answered to it was on our Man O War Drill and the commandant heard me and demanded I bring 'my son' or I wasn't going to participate. That's how I went to drag David oh and before I knew it, I was termed an alien because 'my son' was my age mate. To make it worse that was how Platoon 2 photographer added his own spice into the boiling soup. Gosh, I was so frustrated because I knew the commandant was joking but he kept a serious face so I couldn't end it and he went on and on asking which planet I was from and kept claiming I was an alien. I can't forget that day in a hurry.

     If you have a portable fan carry it along, the heat will almost kill you. Take along a Power bank because you will use money to charge your phone. There are lights out and I mean out- literally. So go with your lamps too. Don't go in with extension; blade,scissors, shaving stick, they will be confiscated. Be friendly with everyone but stand your ground if you don't agree with what is being decided. Everyone has a voice, remember that.

    As the bus took us from Camp ground to our LGA, there were shouts of joy and singing. Those that cried cried and those that laughed laughed quite well. I will miss some aspect of camp, my platoon members, the officials in charge of my platoon, my new friends but more importantly, I got a new phase of my life in front of me and I am ready to break grounds.