Rainbow has definitely been the highlight of my year. I went onto Rainbow Camp with my own expectations and a preconceived idea of what it was going to be like, and boy was I wrong! I went on Rainbow with the goal to better myself and expand my knowledge of my peers and the diversity that South Africa has to offer. I had the idea that it was a “be a better person” workshop, where I would be given a step-by-step guide of what areas I needed to work on, and miraculously walk out of there with my paradigms shifted and a new outlook on life without me actually having to do anything. In the first session I quickly realised that Rainbow Camp is what you make of it, what you put in is what you get out, and it’s a personal decision to be open to other people’s views and to share your own.

When we were boarding the bus, a sense of anxiety filled me as I had no idea what to expect, I wasn’t close friends with any of the people and saw myself being an “outcast” on camp. It was amazing how from just looking around me, I had decided that I had nothing in common with these people and that Rainbow Camp was overrated and definitely not all that it was made out to be.

There were many life lessons that I learned on camp, and most of them came from my fellow campers. It’s hard to believe how I have bonded with this diverse group of people, despite the fact that the differences between us ranged further than the colour of our skin.  Yet we walked out of the house as a family, looking into each other’s eyes, knowing that in the soul of the other person we had a brother or a sister.It was amazing how free I felt on camp, I felt free to express my culture, my religion, my experiences, my views and my true personality, without the fear of being judged. I also learnt how to react to and accept other views which may be contradictory to mine. I went on the camp knowing that there was something I could learn from everyone, but I learnt that there’s also something that I can teach everyone.

I like to think of myself as a person who doesn’t judge others, but it was quite a reality check when I realised just how prejudiced I am, I had the mindset that since I’m not racist then I’m fine, but I learnt that there are many other ways that we classify or stereotype people, and most of these we do so often, that they become second nature. Realising all these forms of prejudice has opened my eyes to the areas in my life that I need to work on and the boundaries that I need to push. How will I ever grow as a person if I don’t challenge myself, how will I make the most of my life if I don’t overcome my ignorance?

Rainbow Camp really requires a lot of maturity, the maturity to honestly look at yourself, to express yourself in an appropriate manner, and to be receptive to others. It is no good just noticing and realising that the foundations we have built in our lives are wrong, but through Rainbow Camp I have the strength to break down these foundations and anything that I built on them. Through Rainbow I have a gained a support group of exceptional and likeminded people, people who have a vision of prosperity for my school and people who want to do something about it. I realised that in all this I am not alone, there are at least 19 other people who have the same fears as me, who have the same problems, who feel the same limitations and who see the same faults in our society. The games we played on camp were extraordinary, games that could be perceived as just a fun pastime had a deep and personal meaning behind them.  I have learnt the power of one, and the power of our thoughts and the words we speak. I saw that even though we were a group of strong willed people, it was relatively easy to break our spirits through words, by seeing the profound effect other peoples’ words had on me, I now realise the effects my words have on others. I look back on Rainbow Camp and I feel blessed, blessed to have been chosen to go on the camp, and blessed to have spent four days with 19 of the best people this world has to offer. As the last Rainbow Camp of my year, I know that there are many people who didn’t get the chance to go, I also know that the lessons I learned must not be confined to my journal and my memories, I should share all that I learnt with those that were not on camp with me and those that didn’t get the opportunity to go on any Rainbow Camp.

I encourage everyone in grades lower than me to apply for all the Rainbows, don’t sell yourself short and don’t hold back just because you don’t think you have anything to contribute, you have your experiences to contribute and if you don’t voice your story then who will?  

Coselelo Ntloko