Pinehas Nakaziko
Windhoek-Up to 26 members of the Learners Representative Council (LRC) at St Boniface College feel inspired by the leadership development training they received at the Okatjikona Environmental Educational Centre at the Waterberg Plateau recently.
The training was hosted by Imene Team Building. Leena Shikongo says she has learned about public speaking dos and don’ts and how to carry oneself when speaking in public.
Magreth Mangundu says she has learned the importance of teamwork and trust amongst others, through the different activities that they did. “This leadership camp also helped me how to balance my duties as a member of the LRC, and enhance my scholarly performances,” she says.
Imene Team Building has as its core functions hosting and facilitating leadership development, mentorship, character transformation, social events, corporate team building and management retreats across the country.
Its young chief executive officer, Emilia Imene, endeavours to assist the Namibian nation in its drive to create and mentor youth leaders by creating development camps offering opportunities for leadership enhancement in the country. She has served in different leadership roles from high school to tertiary education and in the corporate world and has seen the importance of developing youth leaders to look past the LRC/SRC title and wearing different school uniforms.
The camp programme was structured to provide a detailed understanding of different leadership styles, self-discovery, discipline, standing out by building personal brands, attributes, public speaking, enhancing trust, conflict management, effective communication, time management and teamwork.
“Boundaries are everywhere, thus we believe individuals who can work across these boundaries are more likely to solve problems and create change in their academic, leadership roles and personal lives, therefore developing growth in Namibia” says Imene.
The learner leaders were mentored through different physical activities, which would enable them to succeed under pressure. The outdoor experience led to many being away from their comfort zones, in the wild with different “safe” wild animals, which helped them with reflection on the different teachings.