Dewsbury youth group Kumon Y’all embarked on yet another challenge last month with the young volunteers navigating their route through the countryside as part of their latest encounter to achieve a Duke of Edinburgh Award.
For the first time ever girls from Savile Town took part, striving to attain the DofE Bronze award.
The 13 girls divided into two groups set off from Savile Town and walked to the Mirfield Marina where they camped for the night, before heading across Heckmondwike and the Greenary Way in a circular leading them home. Kumon Y’all were quick to thank Kirklees Dof E coordinator, Denise Bedford, who assisted in ensuring facilities were suitable for the girls and thereby not compromise their faith and, thereby, making the experience possible.
Ifrah Qureshi, 15, said it was a “new and different experience. I learnt alot of new skills like map reading and leadership.” Whilst Maariyah Biradar, 15, added “Although it appeared to be a struggle at times it was an unforgettable experience. I would definitely like to partake in more activities like this as I thoroughly enjoyed working as a team and challenging myself continuously throughout both days.”
During the trek the teams had to take along all they would need to fulfil their quest including camping and cooking equipment as well as food and basic necessities.
The volunteer run group set up in 2008 have over 40 teenage boys and girls participating on a daily and weekly basis and the boys continued their progression in the DofE.
Aiming for the Silver Award, 6 boys from Kumon Y’all took on a 150 mile bike ride over three days across the Yorkshire Dales.
Adam Mulla, 16, said it was a great experience and “despite being on the edge of giving up several times, we pushed ourselves till the very end. It wasn’t easy, but it gave us a lot of self satisfaction when we looked back at what we had accomplished.”
Abdurrazag Etorki, 16, added the expedition was a great test of physical and mental strength which pushed the team right to the edge. “We created some great memories that will remain with us for a long time,” he added.
Though both groups at times lost their way, especially across the vast countryside, they successfully completed the task and became an example of what young people can achieve.
Last year the Kumon Y’all youth volunteers gave over 2000 hours of volunteering time to activities like the DofE as well as projects such as ‘Tackling Islamophobia’ and ‘Building Bridges’ where the group interacted with members of the wider community for better community relations.
What the participants had to say-
Girls:
Seemab 15 – I really enjoyed the DofE experience as it was challenging yet fun. The team was excellent as we all supported each other in overcoming the challenges. I would definitely like to take part in activities like this again as I had laugh with my team and worked well.
Ifrah Qureshi 15 – DofE was a new and different experience. I learnt a lot of new skills like map reading and leadership. I had a lot of fun in taking part and really enjoyed it. The team members were very supporting, it was a challenge but we faced them together. I’m glad I worked with them over the 2 days.
Farhaanah Khan 15 – DofE was a very good experience for me teaching me new skills along the way. It was an enjoyable experience with many memories. I would definitely partake in a trip like this again, in which I would face struggles and learn how to overcome them and overall having a great and enjoyable experience
Maariyah Biradar 15 – DofE was a new experience for me, and although appeared to be a struggle at times, it was unforgettable and an experience. I would definitely like to partake in more activities like this as I thoroughly enjoyed working as part of a team and challenging myself continuously throughout both days.
Humairaa 15 – DofE was a good experience and something that I would like to do again. It taught us how to work in a team and overcome difficult challenges. We learn them to overcome difficulties as a team and helped each other when necessary. It was a very enjoyable experience.
Boys:
Adam Mulla 16 – The DofE Silver expedition was a great experience, despite being on the edge of giving up several times, we pushed ourselves till the very end. It wasn’t easy, but it gave us a lot of self satisfaction when we looked back at what we had accomplished. I hope to undertake the gold award in the near future and learn from the mistakes that were made as well as carrying forward the new skills I have learnt.
Abdurrazag Etorki 16 – The silver expedition was a great test of our physical and mental strength, pushing us right to the edge. We created some great memories that will remain with us for a long time and I hope to have a similar experience some time in the future.
Adam Valli 16 – The expedition was extremely tiring we struggled a lot with several punctures and other bike issues. However the three days went smoothly overall and were reasonably relaxing. I enjoyed the challenge of steep hills it pushed us to our limits and i feel the team overcame all the challenges that came our way. I would love to take part in the DofE gold award, this time we should keep it simple and stick to our feet. I really enjoyed the three days and it was generally a really enjoyable experience
Mahmud Mulla 15 – The silver DofE expedition pushed everyone to their limits, their were times when we felt we could not go on any longer but as a team we pushed each other all the way to the finish line, their were many memorable times that will stay with us for a very long time and in the future I hope to do something challenging such as NCS or even the gold DofE.
