PRICELESS LESSONS

The NYSC orientation camp is an awesome event for some whereas, annoying or others. For me, it was quite exciting. I found all of its activities fun and intriguing. Corp members hastily forget the lessons learnt, hence this article

• Morning devotion: this teaches corp members to not neglect their God, for without Him, they wouldn't be
• Exercise: scientifically proven to have a healthy life. thus teaching corp members to stay healthy
• Meals: the meals often minute and sometimes tasteless teaches one how to manage resources and adapt to circumstances
• Parade:  the endless parade in the sun teaches perseverance and discipline
• Lectures: this teaches one to learn wherever one finds oneself because knowledge gained is never wasted
• Cooking/Sanitation Competitions: teaches the value of domestic hard work/teamwork
• Music/Dance/Drama/Sport:  this helps harness talents in corp members, thus teaching us not to neglect our talents
• Beauty contests:  teaches corp members to appreciate beauty and respect cultures from the various ethnic groups in Nigeria
• Bed Space: although tiny, it teaches one to be more organized, for  if one can manage little, then much would not be wasted
• Mammy market: a place with varied goods and services- mammy. it teaches one the wise usage of money
• Platoon divisions: imagine an orientation camp without platoons. there would be chaos and anarchy! thus, the platoon grouping teaches corp members unity in diversity and the value of being organized
• Camp fire: teaches one to relax and have fun after hard work 
• Time scheduling:  the time for every activity was allocated to a certain time prior to the commencement of the camp, thus, teaching us to lead planned lives if we have the intention to be successful.  

It is essential as corp members, to examine your lives to ensure you possess these priceless values

Chikezie, Monalisa C.P.

BY/12A/1093

The Strength of Character

Character is a solid rock upon which so many things are established. Character indeed has a stronghold on every living being; it can either make or mar the individual.

Character can be likened to a habit, it is not formed in a day, it's built overtime. Investments are indeed required for one to build up a good and healthy character, physical attributes which a character sustains.

The strength of a character can not be overemphasized. The beauty and appreciation of every individual emanates from the inside. Character singles out an individual from the crowd, it makes the individual stand out. the strength of character is so overwhelming the no two persons can be of the same character. It is not formed in a day and cannot be changed in a day. Extreme care should be taken in the process of building, in order to avoid regrets in the future.

fellow corp members, i would say in conclusion that character is the key to a successful life, job, marriage, parenthood and all that involves relating with people. Character can bring or deter people from coming close. As corp members, we should take time to build up a wonderful character that would be worthwhile.

AROYAME HAPPINESS

BY/12A/1978

SOMETIMES

Sometimes its sweet, sometimes it sucks;
Sometimes its diamond, sometimes its rocks;
Sometimes there's joy, sometimes there's pain;
Sometimes there's a drought, sometimes ther's rain;
Sometimes there's bravery, sometimes there's fright;
Sometimes you're weak, sometimes you're strong;
Sometimes you're right, sometimes you're wrong;
Sometimes we crawl, sometimes we fly;
Sometimes its sunny, sometimes there's a storm;
Sometimes its cruel, sometimes its fair;
Sometimes we're indifferent, sometimes we care;
Sometimes we dance, sometimes we sing;
Sometimes you're a slave, sometimes you're a king;
Sometimes you're asleep, sometimes you're awake;
Sometimes you give, sometimes you take;
Sometimes there's bliss, sometimes there's life;
Sometimes it may get better.... but for now, it's just LIFE

At the end of the day, nothing is permanent, and the only constant thing in life is change, therefore, as corp members, whatever difficulty or limitation we may face, just be rest assured that we all have to face them SOMETIMES.

Christine Nze

BY/12A/1771

LOOK WITHIN

In Nigeria, people always have sundry reasons why they have not attained the heights they crave for in their careers, yet they are oblivious of the opportunities that abound in their immediate environment. Our higher institutions produce thousands of graduates yearly who hinge their hopes on securing jobs that are not secure after their service year as corps members.

As you prepare to go into the labour market after your one year service to the nation, you can look within and create a job for yourself before securing your dream job. Also, as members of a Community Development Service (CDS) Group, we should not always be discouraged by the difficulties we encounter as we embark on our personal and group Community Development Service Projects. With more focus and determination, you will be amazed by your resourcefulness as a group or an individual. What many people consider to be insurmountable problems are usually gems of opportunities waiting to be packaged into ideas that would bless other people. There are cases of corps members who turned prevailing situations including needs into projects and sources of income in their places of primary assignment.  Even your hobby can as well turn out to be a huge source of income.

Here are some instances of people who were oblivious of the huge opportunities within their immediate environment/reach:

1. The Jobless Boss: A man who was sacked from his place of work was complaining to everybody that his career had been ruined. He packed his car in his compound and was looking for employment all over the place. After searching fruitlessly for a non-existing job for about six months, one of his mentors, a pastor pointed to him the wisdom in turning his car into a taxi cab. He heeded the advice and at the time of writing this report, he boasts more than eight cars in his fleet.

2. The Golden Ranch: A man from California in the Unites States of America, who owned a ranch, read that gold has been discovered in Southern California in 1847. And so he sold his ranch and started off to hunt for gold. His successor put a mill on the little stream on the farm and one day his little girl brought some wet sand from the raceway of the mill into the house and placed it before the fire to dry. As the sand was falling through the little girl’s fingers, a visitor saw the first shining scales of real gold that were ever discovered in California; and the man who wanted the gold had sold his ranch and gone away , never to return.

3. The Old Farm: A farmer who had lived on the same farm all his life, but desperately craved a change. So he decided to sell the old place and buy another more to his liking. He lists the farm with a real estate agent, who looked over the property and prepared an ad for the newspapers. The agent read to the farmer this very flattering description: “Beautiful farm house, ideal location, excellent barn, good pasture, fertile soil, up-to-date equipment, well-bred stock. Near town; near church; near school with good neighbours”. ‘Wait a minute’, said the farmer. ‘Read that again’. And again the description was read. ‘Changed my mind’, said the farmer. ‘I won’t sell again. All my life I’ve been looking for a place just like that!’

All that you are looking for is within. It has always been there. Dig deep and you will be shocked that it has always been there. The key is in your hands. Use it wherever you find yourself or whatever the situation might be during and after your service year. Success is ours as we serve our fatherland!

ONODJE ANDREW O.

BY/11C/1950  

The comeback message

I know I've been inactive for a while and you missed me (I missed you too!) but I'm back now, ready to carry out my responsibility to teach you, keep you up to date on the goings-on with youth corp members in Bayelsa state as well as the NYSC in general, and not forgetting interesting articles and write-ups that would not only spur you to action but also entertain you.

As of now, the most important news that ought to be shared with you on bayelkopa.com is a little belated, i.e. the newest corp members in town, but in due time, a total summary of the events and changes that occurred with the batch B corp members will be uploaded. As well as pictures, a few of their experiences and maybe even videos on this blog. Trust me, you'd love it.

In the mean time, a whole lot of articles have been complied for you to enjoy. I'd upload them in a bit.
Cheers!