SILVER SPRING, Md.--From August 11 to 15, an estimated 35,000 youths and adults will have the opportunity to participate in the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Refugee Experience, an interactive, multi-activity exhibit which will be showcased at the 2009 International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, giving participants a better understanding of what life is like for millions of refugees living in camps around the world.
"Life in a refugee camp is a daily struggle," said Hearly Mayr, director for Public Awareness for ADRA International, and exhibit coordinator. "Through this exhibit, participants will have the opportunity to see first hand the hardships that refugees face and what ADRA is doing to assist them."
At the ADRA Refugee Experience exhibit, attendees will be registered before they are able to enter the simulated refugee camp. Once inside, they will interactively learn about the challenges that displaced people face, including insufficient access to food and clean water, exposure to diseases, overcrowding, and poor safety.
"We hope that by attending this exhibit young people will better understand the issue of displacement and the plight of so many refugees, and be encouraged to live a life of service,"said Mayr.
Participants will also have the opportunity to pack 10,000 school kits that will be sent to displaced children living in Colombia's northern department of Bolivar. These kits will be shipped during the five-day event and are expected to arrive at their destination in early September.
With 2 to 3 millions displaced persons, Colombia presents the highest number of internally displaced people in the western hemisphere, and the second largest displaced population in the world after Sudan, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
"The region targeted by ADRA is one of the most deeply impoverished in Colombia," said Alba Jimenez, director for Donor Development at ADRA Colombia. "The school kits provided will go a long way to meet the needs of children whose families cannot afford even the most basic educational supplies."
Outdoor activities are also planned. One of them is a relay race that will give participants hands on experience of everyday tasks common in refugee camps, such as collecting food, water, and wood,and building shelters. A separate activity called geocaching will require the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) units to hunt for educational treasures related to ADRA's work to help refugees.
"Our goal is to educate event participants in a fun, interactive way," added Mayr. "By getting them involved not just mentally, but also physically, we hope that what they learn will remain in their minds long after the event ends."
Attendees will also be able earn an ADRA Disaster Response Honor by participating in a class that will discuss the effects of natural and made-made disasters on communities, and how these events cause large-scale displacement around the world each year.
Special edition "I Am a Refugee" 2009 Pathfinder Camporee T-shirts and "Courage to Save Lives" 2009 Pathfinder Camporee pins will be available for sale at the ADRA Supply Center inside the exhibit area.
The International Pathfinder Camporee, held every five years, is designed primarily for Seventh-day Adventist youth involved in the Pathfinder program, a global community service oriented co-ed organization similar to the Scout movement with a membership of more than 2 million people. At the Camporee, youths will participate in meetings, events, and competitions that foster unity, fellowship, and spiritual growth. More than 35,000 people from more than 40 countries are expected to attend.
At present there are 15.2 million refugees worldwide and another 26 million displaced within their home country, according to UNHCR, One of every four refugees originate from Afghanistan.
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.
For more information, visit www.adra.org.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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