Category: Challenge

Girls Adventure Group – Tramping Scheme

Challenge 2000 has recently formed an outdoor adventure group for young women. Our objective is to help young women to experience new things and to step out of their comfort zones.

The groups first expedition was a two day tramp along the Oronogorongo Track into the Rimutaka Forest Park. For some of the young women, even sleeping in a tent was a new experience. Simply in saying ‘Yes’ to this adventure took a lot of courage. The young women were tasked with preparing and cooking their own food on camp cookers, finding an appropriate place to rest, and navigating the journey.

On reflection, one participant said:
“I just want to say I learned a lot on those two days; like anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I think the most challenging part for me was the walk, it was a struggle but I got there in the end. The thing I enjoyed most was bonding with the leaders and with my old friends. This would have never happened if it wasn’t for Challenge 2000”

It was incredible to see the amount of physical, mental and emotional growth that can occur in the space of a weekend. In seeing the young people be challenged and inspired by all that nature has to offer, it was very motivating for Challenge 2000 staff to endeavour to provide more opportunities like this for our young people.

Bridge Bush walk Stones

Caritas Challenge 2016 – Supporting our brothers and sisters in our common home.

Caritas (Catholic Agency for Justice, Peace and Development) promotes the Caritas Challenge.  The purpose of the Caritas Challenge is to fundraise, educate and raise awareness for people and places that they work with.  This year the focus is Cambodia and Challenge 2000 kick started the Wellington area campaign over the weekend of 1st-2nd April 2016 in Johnsonville.  Schools were invited, and they responded with enthusiasm and passion.

We organised to sleep in boxes overnight, workshops, activities and games, presentations, set up a room to look like a Cambodian home, reflections and prayer.  We had guest speakers – Nick from Caritas, Kitty McKinley and Geoff Rahari – as well as visits from Cardinal John, Peter Dunne, Deputy Mayor Justin Lester, local Dominican Sisters, parents, a youth worker from BGI, Emily from Young Church Ministries, teachers and supporters.  Thank you to everyone who came together to support the cause – the overnight security team, the cooking team and the background missions team.

Thank you to the Colleges who took part – St Bernard’s College, St Patrick’s College Wellington, St Catherine’s College, St Mary’s College, St Patrick’s College, Silverstream – your students’ input was valuable and we enjoyed being with them.

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Challenge City

 

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Children’s Day – Te Ra O Te Tamariki – Celebrating our Children

On Sunday 28th February, Challenge 2000 celebrated an early Children’s Day.  Children of all ages were entertained with a bouncy castle, face painting, bead/jewellery making, a tug-of-war, sack races, paper plane making and shared food, drink and fruit.  Smiles were ear to ear and laughter was heard all around.  One of the best things of the whole day was the presence of twenty five volunteer youth leaders who organised all the activities and made sure that the young ones had a great time.  A great day for children and their families!!

“The soul is healed by being with children.” Dostoyevsky

“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see” – J F Kennedy

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Kia mau i a ratou te ihi

They hold the delight of life

Kia mau i a ratou te wehi

They hold the awe of life

Kia mau i a ratou te wana

They hold the love of life

The greatest thing we can do is love them and spend time with them.

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Leadership Training – 2016 – St Oran’s, Lower Hutt

Three Challenge 2000 Youth Workers provided a leadership programme for Year 13 students.  Together the young leaders explored the principles, challenges and rewards of leadership and set goals for themselves and the College for 2016.  Everyone enjoyed the day – St Oran’s is all go for 2016.

 

Feedback from the students included:

“I enjoyed the communication games and the meditation because it resonated with me the most and reminded me of key leadership skills! I realised the true importance of my role as a leader in both the school community and the wider community.”

“Being able to learn what it means to be a leader and how to go about being a leader”

“I enjoyed the casual atmosphere that was created, it made it easier to listen and to take the information in.”