SAWIP Selection Camp 2011

Reminiscing on our SAWIP’s Selection Camp, Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself” comes to mind. “…Yo, if you had one chance one opportunity to cease everything you ever wanted would you capture it or let it go…?”

The opening verse of this song best describes my feelings going into what was an intense selection camp where every young leader was worthy and deserving of representing SAWIP international. Through the course of the weekend we were able to fully realize our common aspirations as young leaders of our country: we opened up to one another and shared our most sacred life shaping stories.

This exercise of storytelling made me realize that our stories as people may be different but our destinies are intertwined –we all dream of a better and more prosperous South Africa. Among other activities, the rope game was most effective in making us consciously aware of our ability to work together. Often in leadership when one is used to always being the leader, one tends to forget the importance of not only being a team leader but a team player and this game served to remind us of that.

There are five principles which I took from the rope game, namely; team work, listening, observation, cooperation and communication.

Indeed this camp was like no other: it encouraged us to intricately engage with the concept of leadership and what it meant not only to us as a collectively but also to us as individuals (in lieu of our distinctly unique leadership styles). It is on the very last day of the camp that I was able to best articulate what leadership meant for myself, I believe that leadership is an ability to articulate a position upon which people can feel comfortable in galvanizing themselves around. As we all said our goodbyes that Sunday afternoon, Eminem’s song kept playing in my head: His palms are sweaty knees weak arms are heavy; there’s vomit on his sweater already mom’s spaghetti, his nervous but on the service he looks calm and ready to drop bomb… you better lose yourself in the music the moment you want it you better never let it go you only get one shot do not miss your chance to blow this opportunity comes once in a lifetime.”

I was one among 34 young leaders who anxiously awaited the dawn of what would be a bitter-sweet day; bitter in that 19 of the 34 young leaders at camp would not make the SAWIP 2011 team and sweet because, 15 young individuals would be provided with a prestigious threefold opportunity: leadership development, personal growth and to serve as South African Ambassadors in the United States.

To my relief, the dawn of a new day proved to be a sweet delight. It goes without saying that the South African Washington Internship Programme (SAWIP) is a once in a lifetime opportunity and as Eminem put it; you only get one shot!