SwissCommunity
Ask participants about their favourite experiences during the SJAS holiday camps, and they will recount the hikes they went on, the Swiss cities they discovered, the lakes they swam in, and the night they slept in a tent. It is often the simple things that live long in the memory. “I will miss the Swiss outdoors the most,” says 14-year-old Rocco.
The main thing on holiday camps is the new friends you make. Eva, 14, says she met many people she wants to stay in touch with: “Everyone comes from different cultures. Getting to know and learning from each other is exciting.”
Many past visitors to Switzerland on SJAS holiday camps now work as camp leaders. Making this transition was a no-brainer for Luna, 18: “The camps were life-changing experiences for me.” Many of the friendships made back then are still going strong. “We still meet, either in Switzerland or in our home countries,” says José, 18.
The diversity of camp life is also evident behind the scenes. “It is incredibly enriching to have this vibrant mix consisting of children on the one hand and camp leaders on the other, all coming from a range of backgrounds and speaking different languages,” says Meret, 26, who cooks the camp food and is particularly fond of the washing-up parties: “Turning up the music and washing up with the children is always fun.” Dominic, 28: “It’s lovely to see children communicating with each other in all languages.”
Swiss Trip, in particular, exemplifies the enormous effort that goes into organising every holiday camp. “The trip involves a huge amount of logistical work,” says main leader Nicola, 28. “You’re on the move a lot and want to spend enough time at every stop. Houses also have to be constantly prepared, then cleaned and returned. We accommodate a wide range of cultures and customs, which makes for a really lovely and exciting SJAS summer. But it can also be demanding.”
From cooking, to travelling, to gathering around the campfire – the SJAS holiday camps are all about experiences that bring people together. It is precisely these memories that participants take home with them. Making friends with other kids around the world, gaining new perspectives, and feeling part of a large community of Swiss Abroad – much of this will last far beyond summer.
A 20-minute Swiss television report on the SJAS holiday camps and their history: www.revue.link/srfsjas
Foundation for Young Swiss Abroad (SJAS)
Alpenstrasse 24, 3006 Berne, SwitzerlandEmail: info@sjas.ch www.sjas.ch
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