India Islamic Youth Camp 2022

Over the years, The WF has hosted camps that are vital for life skills and spiritual training in a supportive setting. Thanks to a committed and resilient organizing team, based in India, as well as years of refinement and knowledge, we have established a remarkable reputation and are now the most eagerly awaited residential camp conducted annually in India.

The 9th Annual Islamic Youth Camp organised by The World Federation in collaboration with India Federation took place from 22^nd to 30^th October 2022 at the Seth Moloobhoy Khoja Sanatorium, Khandala, India. These Camps were resumed after a 2-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and we received an overwhelming response from our youth.

Participants came from Mumbai, Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad and Mahuwa. The ages for boys who attended were between 12 to 16 and girls between 10 to 14.

Click below for the video testimonials of the participants:

– The boys’ camp took place from 22^nd to 26^th October and was led by Br Asad Virani and Br Sajjad Karim.

– The girls’ camp followed immediately after, from 26^th to 30^th October and was led by Sr Zainab Virani and Sr Zahra Merchant.

– The camp consisted of 4 Admins, 2 Resident Aalims, 18 Mentors and was attended by 72 Participants (40 boys and 32 girls)

The Daily Program and Activities:

All the classes were conducted by the mentors, who have all gone through the Mentor Training Program organised by The WF, and the topics were carefully selected, keeping in mind the needs and challenges faced by the youth.

The daily timetable was prepared in such a way that the day began with Fajr Salaah in Jamaat and ended with planet time among the mentor and their mentees. The participants had three interactive classes in a day, a Qur’an session, Activity sessions, dedicated sports and games time in the evening, all aimed at learning while having fun. The participants were equally eager to learn more as we had to allocate some time for questions and answers after each session on their demand.

All the sessions were interactive and relevant activities according to the topics were included to keep them engaging. These sessions included special activities like “Know your Infallibles”, in which the lives of 4 Aaimahs (a) were highlighted, and “Know the Surahs”, in which participants were given the task to enact the story mentioned in that particular Surah in the form of a Skit. The Surahs that were covered are – Surah Feel (105), Surah Lahab (111), Surah Zilzaal (99) and Surah Kaferoon (109)

Some of the topics for the interactive classes were as follows:

– Our Duties and Responsibilities towards the Imam (aj) of our Time

– Nearness to Allah (SWT)

– Reality v/s Social Media

– Importance of Intention

– Healthy Lifestyle

– Jealousy

– Discussions on issues faced during Puberty

– Peer Pressure

– Balancing Career and Acquiring Islamic Knowledge

– Mental Health Issues with Islamic and Worldly solutions to it

– Session on Mahram and Na-Mahram

– How to knock out Shaitaan

– Craft session – Learning how to make a Pop-up card and Gift bag

– Secret Friends – Card making for fellow campers

October is generally a good time to visit Khandala as it marks the shift of seasons from Autumn to Winter. We had organised a bonfire session for the girls, where along with having fun, they wrote down their bad habits which they wanted to get rid of and threw them towards the fire, intending to overcome them. A crucial aspect of all our activities and classes was that it was aimed to encourage team bonding and teamwork.

The participants were accompanied by spiritual guides to ensure their spiritual development was also on par with their physical and mental development. These guides conducted a brief session before and after every Salaah discussing the rules of Salaah, the importance of offering the Salaah on time, and also attended to the various questions and queries the participants had regarding Islamic laws. The campers also participated in the group recitation of Dua al-Kumail, Dua al-Ahad and Ziyarat Ashura.

Evenings at the camp were reserved explicitly for sports, games and snacks. Arrangements were made for Football, Cricket, Kho-Kho, Dog and the bone, Islamic Charades, Quizzes, Pictionary and many other exciting games. However, the highlight, as always, was the Treasure Hunt.

The theme of this year’s camp was “Gift to Parents”, for which the following duas were taught to the campers with meaning:

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ

رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا

Our admin team received numerous requests from participants asking to prolong the duration of their stay. Overall, the camp was successful as the team received positive feedback from parents saying their children had an outstanding experience, enjoyed themselves, and were already looking forward to the next camp.

Feedback from the Parents:

JazakAllah for all your hard work and effort in planning this beautiful journey full of learning and experiences for our boys. Right from a safe journey and stay, to the thought-provoking activities, Jamaat namaz, specially Namaz e Shab, lessons on Deen and Dunya, delicious, wholesome meals and a lot of new friends, our boys have gone a long way and returned with a lot of wonderful memories to cherish for life. Every camp is a new experience, and the kids are never bored but look forward to gaining knowledge while having fun. Hats off for organising the TWF Youth Camp for the youth of our community, and we pray that Allah (swt) accepts the efforts and rewards you immensely, Ameen.

Alhamdulillah, my girls had a wonderful time with you all, and they have come back learning many more new things and unforgettable memories. This trip is something that’s highly appreciated, making kids learn and have fun inside the camp without any gadgets. They are very happy that they were part of this trip. InshaAllah, we are waiting for next year’s camp, and my elder daughter has requested to extend the age limit as she wants to come again. Once again, a big thank you for taking such a good care of them; we were not at all worried as we got regular updates about all activities. JazakAllah.

A big thanks from the bottom of my heart to the entire team of WF and everyone involved in the planning and execution of this memorable trip. My daughter had a great time and is already waiting for the next trip. All the topics covered were very cleverly chosen and it was a great initiative by WF catering to the needs of our youth in the most entertaining way. Examining their salat taking into consideration every minute detail was actually very helpful. Right from healthy meals, fun games, discipline, the allocation of roommates with different age group so they can look after each other. Everything was planned just perfect. Looking forward to more such trips with 15 above age group too. JazakAllah for all the efforts for bringing out the best in our children.

Thanks a lot; my daughter had a great time with you all. I am grateful for all the work and input you’ll have done towards all the little angels. This trip has made such a positive impact on my child. Her talks are not getting over only… and the best is it covers up all Deen and Duniya. My only worry was, “how will she sleep in the night” but it went very smoothly. It was a completely new experience for her, and that too without Gadgets. Bravo. Thank you all once again for sharing your priceless gifts of treasure, time and talent. Without your relentless efforts, this wouldn’t have been a success. This trip has become a brighter ray of light in her and all the little angel lives, and we pray that Allah (swt) accepts the efforts put in by each one of you and rewards you immensely InshaAllah, Ameen. Looking forward to more trips like these.