May 25, 2024
Perseverance is a key part of life, and I’ve experienced it many times. Most recently, I’ve
needed it on the rugby pitch. Two weeks ago, me and my team battled hard, and won the
Rockyview School Division’s Rugby 7s tournament, placing first in our league, which sent us to zones. Then, this last week, we won the South Central zone, sending us to provincials. But, the purpose of me writing all this isn’t just to brag about success on the pitch. It’s to talk about perseverance.
This season has had some wild ups and downs. From losing a couple of our star players to injury in a pre-season game, to having a very interesting trip to BC, and having all of our home games cancelled due to weather concerns, there’s been no shortage of rough patches. But, we remained perseverent. We pushed through adversity, and came out stronger.
Rugby is a very physically demanding game, with no shortage of bumps and bruises. As I’m writing this, I have a baseball sized bruise on my knee from taking a hit. But, I’ve been inspired by my teammates. No matter what gets thrown at us, we’ve gotten through it, and are stronger because of it.
Even outside of sports, perseverance is key. You could have a rough time at work, or some issues at school, and you’re just forced to persevere. But, being able to get through all the battles that life throws at you, whether they’re seemingly big or small, is an important skill that I know will benefit me down the road.
So, no matter what you’ve got going on, just persevere. Life gets better.
Logan Smit
May 3, 2024
Equipping future leaders is something that will significantly benefit society further down the road. Last week, some of the younger ones in the group were given an opportunity to step in, and lead teams. These three young men did an amazing job, and led their teams very,very well. Throughout the challenge, they rose up, and brought skills to the table. In what was likely their first time leading a group of people who were mostly older than them, they showed great leadership skills, and kept their teams in check. From deciding what materials were needed, to being creative and figuring out unique ways to make their miniature foosball table look the best, they did it all.
By teaching these kids these skills now, it will definitely benefit them, and others down the road. Sure, there are some natural born leaders. But, just like almost anything, you can learn it, and obtain it. No matter what these kids do with their lives, whether it’s being a top level entrepreneur, or being a paramedic, these seemingly simple skills will benefit them down the road, no matter what road that is.
Logan Smit
April 26, 2024
Team work. Dedication. Communication. Leadership. Those four things are absolutely crucial to have a functioning and effective team. Without one of the four, a team will never be able to work to its fullest extent. In my sixteen years of life, I’ve been a part of many teams. From serving at my church, to being a part of a phenomenal football team, these four things remain necessary. Without leadership, no matter how dedicated you are to the task, you will always fall short. Without communication, you can never fully work as a team.
This past challenge that Abe designed was intended for all of us to grow in those areas. Through building those cardboard boats, a seemingly insignificant task, we realized how important the “big four” really are. Without amazing leaders to guide the building process, and dedication to complete the task at hand, none of the teams would’ve produced anything worthwhile. It forced us to have to communicate with one another, people who, for the most part, I was meeting for the first time. But, I did notice that all teams ended up working as a group, to multiple different extents, and in multiple different ways.
Certain groups had different strengths, as each individual brings something different to the table. This allowed and continues to allow for uniqueness, and individualism as each team completed their projects. I truly believe that the skills that this challenge has taught us, and that future challenges will teach us, will better equip us to be leaders in our own lives, no matter what we do with it.
At the end of the day, you can always learn something from any task, no matter how weird it may seem. Currently, we’re building cardboard boats. One day, we’ll be building the world. Logan Smit
Team Work
We had a fun Saturday! Our youth were put into teams to encourage them to work together and communicate so they could accomplish a project. They had no idea what the challenge was going to be and it was designed like that for a reason. We wanted them to put their heads together and work on something from scratch. The did a great job. Another reason why we had this challenge was to prepare them for the summer season, keeping in mind that most of the students will be working summer jobs.
We chose three girls to lead and they did an exceptional job. The three teams went head to head and the communicated well. The were very competitive and stayed engaged in the task at hand. I heard some of the teens say that this was a great opportunity for them to get to know each other. One of the boys said that he enjoyed having challenging conversations while building relationships with the other kids. I am super proud of our youth. They went on to build ships using cardboard boxes and supplies that we had in our supplies room.
A couple of our goals for this exercise were to have the teenagers learn to take direction from someone their own age, and learn to work in groups harmoniously. Challenges like this will be ongoing. We also wanted the teens to learn to be creative using basic materials. They had to work with a deadline and had to make sure that they worked as a unit.
Stay tuned! The winners will be announced!
Abe Mawoyo, President
Spring Break Day Camp
Spring break started on April first and we decided to host a spring break camp. We only opened five spots for children under under the age of ten. We planned activities for each day. The kids had so much fun and learned a lot. The children had a costume/talent show and let me say that fun was had by all. It was only a few days, but in those few days we saw these five children break out of their shells and express themselves in ways we had never seen before. We chose to have a small number of children in our first group to test the waters. We have never had children under the age of ten for four consecutive days. We wanted to see how things would go and I’m happy to report that all went very well.
We had help from our youth to plan games and share a lesson for each day. The youth volunteers did an amazing job. They engaged with the young kids and made sure that safety was a key element for the time we were together. They got down to the young children’s level of understanding. They were patient and took the time to invest in the young ones. We are grateful for their efforts.
I would like to thank KDR Installations for opening their doors to us during business hours so our children could have a safe space to be during the break. We disrupted their work week but they didn’t mind and for that we are forever thankful. The children sang, made so much noise, laughed and rejoiced because they were in a place where they could do that. They had so much fun and were excited to come back to KDR the each morning. Again, we say, thank you.
On the last day, we held a mini graduation where we handed each of the kids a package of the things they had created that week. The smiles on their faces were priceless. Last but not least, the kids created memories, they made friends and parents knew that their children were well taken care of in a place where they can be encouraged to be themselves and grow in confidence.
Now, onto summer!
Abe Mawoyo, President
Happy New Year to you all!
We are thankful that we’ve made it to 2024 and I know that we all are looking forward to what’s ahead. 2023 came with its challenges but we also experienced many victories. I am looking forward to 2024 and all the goodness that it will bring. We have in front of us a clean slate, most of us have goals already set and are looking forward to taking them head on. The holiday rush is almost behind us and we can now look forward to things slowing down in January.
As an organization, we are looking forward to doing MORE this year. MORE activities, MORE fun, MORE giving, MORE volunteering, MORE learning. We are looking forward to spending MORE time investing in GROWTH, both individually and collectively. We have set up committees, which include a few of our teenagers who help out with the planning of the programs and mobilizing the younger children.
We will continue to develop ways to have our older youth more involved, not just in the fun and outing aspect of programs but also in leadership roles. We want to get them ready for the workforce and society at large. We would like to create positions within the organization for those we see putting in the hard work. 2024 will open the door to opportunities for our youth leaders to serve in different roles within Off The Grid.
We have dedicated volunteers who sacrifice their time and resources for the better good of our children. We are thankful for their dedication. We look forward to working alongside them in 2024 as they pour their energy into our children.
Lastly, we love all the children we have here at Off The Grid. You are here because you are a great addition to our group. We are excited for what you will bring to the table this year. We will not give up on you. We will walk with you and support you. We want your gift to be a blessing not just to you but to everyone around you.
Thank you,
Abe