Time to report to NYSC CAMP!!!

Hey y'all!

Call-up letters have been picked up, and corpers have started reporting to their various camps. As per usual, a LOT of people would have been disappointed when they read where they were posted to - they're also probably scrambling to get their posting "fixed." Ah, the joys of NYSC. :)

Anyway, new corpers started heading to camp yesterday, June 25th. It's earlier than usual, as Batch B camp typically starts the first week of July. In any case, they've started reporting to camp and dealing with the stress of registration, getting a bed, finding and registering at your platoon, feigning communicable diseases so they can be exempted from camp, looking for mami market, etc.

My advice to you is to just relax, take it easy, and pray to God for divine patience because you'll need it. If you haven't already read my experience, the following links should give you a clear idea of what to expect.

1. Guide to surviving NYSC Camp: What to Bring
2. Guide to surviving NYSC Camp: What NOT to Bring
3. Guide to surviving NYSC Camp: Arrival
4. Guide to surviving NYSC Camp: Platoon Registration and Accommodation

While in there, make sure you choose your Community Development Service wisely. I may actually need to make a post for the how to select the best CD for you...

I wish you all the best of luck. Try to have fun. :D

Berry.

2013 Batch A Orientation Camp starts tomorrow!

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

OMG, I totally thought March 5th was next week - blame the cough/cold that's refused to leave me since last week. Awww, it's time for the new batch of  corpers to report to their various orientation camps starting from tomorrow. I just want to wish everyone of you the absolute best! Try and have fun with it. It's "just" 21 days and it'll be over before you know it... after you've screamed and cursed the very soul of NYSC at least once or twice.

Don't forget to read up on the following posts. They'll give you a much clearer picture of what to expect.

1. Guide to surviving NYSC Camp - Items you need
2. Guide to surviving NYSC Camp: What NOT to bring
3. Guide to surviving NYSC Camp: Arrival and Registration
4. Guide to surviving NYSC Camp: Platoon Registration and Accommodation
5. Day and Night in NYSC Camp
6. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of NYSC Camp
7. NYSC Anthem and Drills

Take care to everyone - buttery or not. God bless and much love from moi!

Berry. 

NYSC Delta State Camp Review

Hello berryboos!

As you know, I like to contribute to another site - Review Naija - and the other day, I came across a review of the Delta State NYSC Camp by Nnamno N. It's really detailed and gives a good account of what the Orientation Camp was like, and I think it cuts across to all other camps in general. I've been generously allowed to "borrow" the post - which you can read directly at: NYSC Delta State Camp Review.


Posting-I was posted to Delta State. The camp is in a village called Isselle – Uku, about 20 minutes from Asaba, the capital. The moment you cross the gate, that is it - you cannot leave until the end of the 3 week orientation unless you’re extremely sick or near death. In my case the Camp Commandant i.e. the big shot soldier guy who is not to be messed with, sent all the pregnant women and nursing mothers home to re-register when they could be away from their children for the whole 3 weeks.

NYSC 2013 Batch A Time Table

Hi guys,

As promised, here's the schedule for the 2013 Batch A prospective corps members. Foreign grads have already started registering and Orientation Camp starts in March. Again, no need to worry about the other stuff in the schedule as they pertain only to NYSC officials. The link to the schedule is at NYSC 2013 Batch A Mobilization Timetable.

Pre-mobilization Workshop Meeting	16th January, 2013
Registration of Foreign-trained Nigerian Graduates	10th December, 2012 - 26th February, 2013
Submission of Masterlist. Screening/Vetting by Mobilization Officers	21st - 23rd January, 2013
Action by the ICT Department	21st - 29th January, 2013
Delivery of Corps Mobilization	30th January, 2013
Delivery of Preliminary Printouts to CPIs	30th - 31st January, 2013
Return of Corrected Printouts by Institutions to NYSC NDHQ	4th - 6th January, 2013
Action by ICT)	4th - 19th February, 2013
Sorting and Packaging of Call-up letters	20th - 25th February, 2013
Delivery of Call-up letters to Institutions / NYSC Secretariats	26th - 28th February, 2013
Briefing of Prospective Corps Members	Throughout the year
2013 Batch ‘A’ Orientation Course aka CAMP	5th - 26th March, 2013

OMG! Miracles DO happen for real!

Like I'm in TOTAL shock right now!

I haven't really had any cause to check the NYSC website since the 2012 Batch C corpers left camp. And then I got a comment from my last post asking about the NYSC fees, so I decided to go to the site and get info.

THEY'VE REDESIGNED THE NYSC WEBSITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*does victory dance*

I was so overly excited, I almost missed out on VERY IMPORTANT information

Babies in NYSC Orientation Camps...

Hi guys n gals!

So I've been keeping tabs on the latest set of corps members - they've just arrived to their Orientation camps and the stories and terror some of them are having are simply hilarious! My friend posted a picture of her room in despair, and I told her to remember that I was in a corridor-converted-into-a-room, so she should count herself lucky for having space.

Her next status was that there were 2 babies in the room... I'm sorry, WHA? QUE? She's joking, right? Apparently another lady in her camp came with a 12-day old baby! However, she was yelled at and sent back home by NYSC officials.

Well, 10 minutes later, another friend posted the following picture of a baby in an orientation camp somewhere...

I have to ask now why a woman would bring a child to the orientation camp. Concerning babies in camp though, NYSC states on their website:

  •  Will Pregnant Women and nursing Mothers be registered in the Orientation Camp?

  No. There will be strenuous exercises in the Camp which may jeopadise the health of the mother 

and the unborn child. In the same vein, babies are not allowed in the Camp, 

so nursing mothers will also not be registered

It always broke my heart to see women with infants and young children go through the stress of coming to our local government office or CD and have to fight their way through the lines to get their cards signed. At least in my local government, my LGI always made it a point to make sure that pregnant women or women with children got first priority. 

How can NYSC serve these women better, I ask? Like I said, during the registration process, I believe they should be given priority and preference to stay in their states of residence. That would be a good first step. This should be noted on their registration form, so that while call up letters are sent out, they are automatically waived from attending camp - but given the necessary instructions on getting paid allowance, signing the 'Book of Life' (this book that has every corps members' contact information), etc. 

My thoughts...

Eeeek! Re-votes and 2012 Batch C corpers go to camp!

Hello ladies and gentlemen!

I hope you're all well. So first things first... I might need you to revote for my blog as BEST TUTORIAL BLOG for the Nigerian Blog Awards. Apparently there was a snafu last week and some votes were not counted :(. So pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease re-vote. I feel bad cos I got sick of the US elections campaigning, and just when the end has come (Congratulations President Obama), I'm asking for votes. Please don't get sick of me *hugs and kisses*

Next Eeek reason! The 2012 Batch C corpers Orientation Camp started yesterday and I didn't put up a post to encourage and wish them well :(. Soooooooo sorry. Meanwhile, I had auditions for a play at church The Waterbrook on Saturday night. One of the new members got on stage to audition and mentioned that he was about to start NYSC and was going to camp this week. I called out to him "Hey, you should read my blog." And he goes "What blog is that?" I go "Aje-Butter's Guide to NYSC." And he says "YOU'RE AJE-BUTTER?!" And I squealed with delight "OMG! People read my blog. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay." And then I apologized for interrupting the auditions - oops!

Anyways, I saw him yesterday at our rehearsals. He got posted to Lagos and he'd been to camp to register yesterday. The first thing he said to me was "Berry, you didn't prepare me for how bad it was!" *slaps hand to forehead, hiding face and running away* What I think I mentioned in passing in a previous post was that I went to Orientation Camp on Day 2, at about 4/5pm. At that point, a lot of people had already registered. Well, my new friend got to Iyana-Ipaja at 4:45am as the first person in line. Unbeknownst to him, some people had already gotten there the night before and slept there overnight. Between being sent back and forth to get seats, register, get accommodation and whatnot, he didn't leave the camp until 6:30pm. That's over 12 hours. Whereas, when I registered, I was done in 6 hours. Sawry... future corps members take note! He did say though that about 700 corpers couldn't register yesterday because NYSC officials at the camp RAN OUT  of registration forms. SERIOUSLY? Do I need to write another 'Dear NYSC' letter? (See first one here).

Well, to all the new corps members, I wish you all the very best! If you're going to brave it in camp, do it with an open mind and a pleasant attitude. Being friendly with your platoon leaders and others will only help you if you need something. Don't forget to send your stories! Have fun and Godspeed.

Luv,
Berryliciously on vacay.

NYSC 2012 Batch C Timetable

Hi guys,

Seems like people are going to my post on Batch B 2012 timetable, so let me make life easier so nobody gets confused. The link to the schedule is at NYSC 2012 Batch C Mobilization Timetable.

Pre-mobilization Workshop Meeting	4th- 6th September, 2012
Registration of Foreign-trained Nigerian Graduates	1st August- 5th October, 2012
Submission of Masterlist. Screening/Vetting by Mobilization Officers	12th - 21st September, 2012
Action by the Computer Centre	12th - 21st September, 2012
Delivery of Preliminary Printouts	25th - 27th September, 2012
Return of Corrected Printouts by Institutions to NYSC NDHQ	3rd - 5th October , 2012
Action by Computer (Coding, Corrections etc)	3rd - 23rd October, 2012
Sorting and Packaging of Call-up letters	24th - 28th October, 2012
Delivery of Call-up letters to Institutions / NYSC Secretariats	29th - 31st October, 2012
Briefing of Prospective Corps Members	29th - 31st October, 2012
2012 Batch ‘C’ Orientation Course aka CAMP	6th - 27th November, 2012

Dear NYSC...

Dear NYSC,

Hello! How are you? My name's Berry Choco Latte. I've been a part of your program since November 2011. I just have a few things I want to express now that our time together is drawing to a close.

1. I know you're VERY busy, but would it kill you to update your website regularly? I've been stalking your home page for weeks, trying to get the time table for 2012 Batch C Orientation and Registration. All I see is a blank space after "Information for Batch C Orientation is..." and when I click on the supposed link to the time table, I'm getting Batch B's information. It's not fair for you to raise my hopes up, and then send them crashing down. Please, enh, biko, e jo, ____ (insert Hausa please here), por favor, per favore...
2. What's the probability of taking some parts, if not all, of the registration process online? Ok, so maybe the issue is ensuring that the system isn't taken advantage of - I know for sure, a percentage of people would use false identification to sign up (they're already doing it now, so it wouldn't make a difference). But ok, how about after people have enrolled for NYSC, you capture their information online, give them codes and have them pre-register for camp. During this pre-registration process, they should be able to enter their clothes/shoe sizes, so you can ensure you send the appropriate kits to each camp. In addition, since you already know what sites/structures are being used for the camps, you can allot rooms BEFORE the new corpers get to camp. ALSO, you can let them know what platoons they're in. This should cut down on the billion and one forms you make them sign before getting to camp. Of course, there will be challenges for those people who work their way around by switching to new orientation camps, but I'm sure we can figure out a way to deal with those issues.
3. Who in Nigeria's name makes the dreaded NYSC kits??? Do you have any officials that check the quality of the materials and workmanship? You wonder why people go and sew their own versions of kits - it's because YOURS SUCKS!!! Since I don't know who the uniforms and shoes are sourced to, I won't make any recommendations. I sha hope such things are given to underemployed communities to undertake.
4. What will it take to revamp the orientation camps? I feel like the government should have allotted a budget to NYSC - how about working toilets, mattresses/beds that make sense, safe and secure locations, painted buildings, etc? Maybe people wouldn't be so eager to skip camp if they were comfortable. In addition, revamping would not be enough - MAINTENANCE is key! You work closely with MDG, innit? Last I checked, they were all about SUSTAINABILITY.
5. Apply point 4 above to the Local Government offices and State secretariats.
6. Something needs to be done about your website! I know I touched on it in point 1, but seriously. Why should I hear about commendable community development projects on social websites, but none of them are posted on your website? Encourage incoming and prospective corps members with the good things that have come out of your program. In fact, maybe you should hire me as your PR person - please note, I only fly (no road trips unless necessary) and I only stay in nice hotels.
7. Create a survey for outgoing and current corps members and use the information and comments given wisely. There are a lot of intelligent people in your program with great ideas! Use them! Yes, I said it. USE US!

Erm, that's it for now. I may write another letter at the end of service, so look out for my correspondence.

Sincerely yours,
Berry!

No hugs and kisses for you.

Under the sun AND in the rain...

Hello Berryboos/Booberries!

How are y'all doing? I'm doing pretty good. I had General CD last week Friday - as usual, a disaster with all the pushing, shoving, yelling just to get CD cards signed. As if it wasn't bad enough, our LGI (local government inspector) decided to combine signing the cards with our June Monthly Clearance. Well, before I left the house, I mentally prepared myself for a looooooooooong, stressful day. I was pleasantly surprised to be done before 2:30pm - It pays to be friendly with your NYSC officials.

Anyways, the reason why we started Monthly Clearance last week (wait, have I done a post on Monthly Clearance yet? I'll check and if not, expect a post soon) - so we started it early because 2012 Batch B Corps members are heading to their various camps TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!! Fun times... Not really :p

The reason why I titled my post 'Under the sun AND in the rain' is because we are now at the beginning of the rainy season. I feel like I must alert my fellow aje-butter corpers to bring a raincoat/umbrellas/wellingtons to deal with the rain. I personally don't know what camp is like when it rains continuously - the one afternoon it rained during my camp, everyone took cover. However, the NYSC anthem says to

"lift our nation high, under the sun or in the rain..."

It might depend on your camp officials, but I wish you even more luck than I wish Batch A Corps members.

For your review, check out my series of posts on Surviving NYSC Camp:

• Guide to Surviving Camp - Items you need
• Guide to Surviving Camp - What NOT to bring
• Guide to Surviving Camp - Arrival and Registration
• Guide to Surviving Camp - Platoon Registration
• Day and Night in NYSC Camp

Alrighty, gotta go! Work calls. Enjoy the next 3 weeks in camp.

Very tight big hugs and cuddles from me because the weather's frightful!

Berry.

Style Post! NYSC Uniform

Hola amigos!

I had CD today, under a lot of stress and spent 10 minutes crying when I got home.

BUT before I left the house this morning, I decided to do an unplanned mini photo-shoot to "show off" the different NYSC looks. Since the pictures were self-taken, they're not the best, but wa'ev.

*btw, my camera fell during the shoot, so in addition to spa gift certificates, I'll also accept a new one for my birthday, which is in less than 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*


CASUAL WEAR
While you're in Orientation Camp, you are required to wear white t-shirts, white shorts, white sneakers, and your NYSC cap. Below are 2 pictures - one from during camp, and one from this morning...

I almost always give the peace sign. 

OFFICIAL WEAR
On 1 or 2 [special] occasions during camp, you'll be required to wear the full official NYSC kit. This includes your NYSC crested vest, khaki trousers, socks, jungle boots, cap, and maybe the "jacket/shirt/wotever you want to call it" too. Again, two pictures below - one from camp and one from this morning.

During our Man 'O' War activity day

My trousers are ridiculously high waisted, but I couldn't be bothered to get another pair sewn. And I lost my hat AND crested vest during camp - or rather, they were stolen, so I had to buy a new vest before I left camp that's a little big for me.


CD WEAR

For your CD days, you are supposed to go in your official kit sans the jacket. You can also replace your crested vest with a white shirt. I tend to wear my jungle boots cos I don't have energy to bleach and wash the dirt/dust-attracting white NYSC sneakers regularly.

So............... the next time I do a Style Post, I'll show how to "Go From CD Wear to the Office" or "From CD to Casual Day Out" or "Dress up your CD Outfit."

Adios amigos!

What's 'Berry' in spanish? Google Translate says 'Baya'.


Adios amigos!

Baya!

Batch B 2012 NYSC Timetable

Hey you *insert BB flirty smiley*


I hope everyone's doing well, wherever in the world you are...

Just wanted to note that the timetable for the next set of corpers for 2012 (Batch B) has been out for a little while - kindly forgive me for not stalking the NYSC website to check.

The notable details on the timetable for Foreign-Trained Graduates are as follows:

April 2nd to June 4th - Registration in Abuja
26th to 27th of June - Delivery of Call-Up Letters to your state of residence's NYSC secretariat
July 2nd to 23rd - Orientation


For the full timetable, click here - NYSC Batch B Timetable

Also click here - for NYSC 2012 Service Year Facebook Page

For my previous post on the Registration process and a list of the required items and documents, click here - Registration Process of Aje-Butters


Something to remember, corpers are being sent to serve in the following sectors: Health, Education, Agriculture, and Infrastructure.

Erm, that's about it.

Ttyl + xoxo = C u berry soon!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly of NYSC Camp...

It's been FOREVER and a DAY!

I'm sooooo sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'd like to say I've been working very hard, or playing very hard, but those would be lies. I'm back anyways, so let's learn some more about NYSC!

The Good

• For the vain people - the camp paparazzi! Well technically, they aren't the paparazzi, just photographers who stalk you all day, every day, imploring you to pose prettily and smile for the camera. For those of you aspiring socialites, models, actresses, and celebs, now's the time to practice your "Smizes." (If you don't know what smizing is, kindly open a new tab and google it) Anyways, unlike celebrities, you have to pay for these pictures. Each picture can cost N100 to N200 each. There were reports of people paying for up to 50 pictures in a single day, which makes no sense to me cos it's not like there were wardrobe changes.
• New friends! The truth of the matter is, you shouldn't go through camp alone. In my situation, I knew not one person going into camp at the same time. My buddy who I'd planned to start NYSC camp with conveniently forgot to bring his original diploma from The States. Anyways, after the first day or two of being mostly by myself, I noticed a young man sitting by himself looking as miserable as I felt. So I struck up conversation, and what-do-you-know, a "foreigner" just like me, YAAAAAY! We spent pretty much everyday for the rest of camp hanging out for at least an hour trading stories about our days. The point is, there are THOUSANDS of people in camp. You can find at least 3 people that you have something in common with. Be open-minded and smile at someone.

The Bad

• Anything that will have you standing in line - e.g. registering on Day 1/2, signing up with a CD (Community Development) group, collecting your allowance, filling out the Book of Life (this is a notebook with all the campers/corpers' information - name, address, etc), getting food if you're eating the camp-provided fare, fetching your bucket of water, etc. Just be prepared to wait in line for EVERYTHING. I'd like to tell you that this part is over when you leave camp, but again I'd be lying... Wait until you have to go to your designated NYSC Local Government office. Think of the camp lines as training for the rest of the year :)
• Naked people. Honestly, they might as well just call this a semi-nudist camp. When it's time to take your shower, there are more than enough boobies and butts of all shapes, sizes, and varying degrees of firmness, in your face. And unfortunately, your boobies and butt will be in someone's face too - you gotta shower and there isn't a privacy. I had a really weird, uncomfortable experience one day. I went in to take my bath, and two seconds later, this huge lady comes in to bathe as well. I'm one for privacy so I basically kept my eyes averted and head down. But from the corner of my eye, I could see this chick watching me. She was bathing, yes, but staring at me. Ewww! Before anyone could say 'Jack Robinson' I decided I was clean enough and BOUNCED! 

The Ugly

• The bathrooms... *insert BB grossed out smiley here* I shudder at the memories. For starters, have you ever heard of a 'pit bucket?' Yeah, neither had I. Let's just say some ladies (not sure about guys) had buckets for the sole purpose of relieving themselves (that's the least disgusting way to put it). Woe betide you if you go in to take your bath just before someone decides she needs to do her business at the same time. No matter how hard you try to not look in that general direction, just the thought that bowels are being emptied around you will almost force you to re-bathe 10 times in a row.

Oooh, now's as good a time as any to show you pictures of the bathroom closest to my room. Be warned: it doesn't look pretty!

To think these pictures were taken on a "decent" day. Ugghh, I feel nauseous looking at the pictures again *runs to take a bath*

I honestly can't continue with this post after these pictures. My next post shall be on "Random Facts/Experiences from NYSC Camp."

Sayonara!

Day and Night in NYSC Camp

Hello pretty people!

Today I want to address the typical day and night in NYSC Camp. In my experience, the days were much easier to handle than the nights - I will explain at the end of this post.

Day
3:00am - 4:00am: This is when the the average day in camp starts (yikes!). At this time, you will begin to stir from sleep because your roommates have started waking up, rushing to bathe and use the bathroom before the rush of people at 4:00am.


4:00am - 5:00am: About 90% of the camp is awake by now, and lines begin to form to bathe, brush your teeth, and whatever bathroom needs you have (yuck!). Also at this time, the blasted OBS (Orientation Broadcasting System) team begins their daily broadcast. They start off with the Nigerian Anthem, then the NYSC Anthem, and whoever's on duty makes way too much noise about how it's time to wake up and get ready for Early Morning Meditation and Drills. Since they are a radio station, you will be subject to whatever music they decide to play... Much to my chagrin, the OBS team in my batch favored Mariah Carey and Celine Dion - No, my heart does NOT want to go on, you wicked people!
Everyone starts to assemble on the parade ground by 4:30am. Truthfully, most people get to the parade ground  by 4:55am, just in time for...

5:00am - 7:30am: Early Morning Meditation, Drills and Lectures. The first official order of the day is singing the Nigerian anthem, reciting the pledge, and then singing the NYSC anthem. Trust me, by the 4th day in camp, you'll be sick and tired of said anthems - especially the NYSC anthem, which is sung before AND after EVERY SINGLE program. After that's taken care of, the platoon on duty is responsible for prayers and meditation. Beforehand, the platoon leaders would have selected a Christian and Muslim representative to lead in prayers. The meditation is a short poem/essay written by another representative in the platoon. The general topic has something to do with Nigeria and/or NYSC.

After meditation, the corpers are addressed by the Camp Director or other official in charge. Here's where the schedule for the day's read aloud, and corpers are scolded for bad behavior from the night before (lol). Then it's time for physical training by the soldiers. Now, I don't know about other camps, but in Lagos, all we did were light calisthenics - quite disappointing if you ask me. Physical training goes on for about 20 to 30 minutes, after which it's time to sing and dance a la Man 'O' War staff. Most people enjoy this portion :)

Next up is lecture time! Now, it can be a series of back-to-back lectures, or one looooooooooooong lecture on whatever. Topics range from Language (they teach you simple phrases in the dominant language of the region) and Health to Community Development and more. You may or may not catch up on sleep at this point.

7:30am - 9:00am: Breakfast Time! After lectures, corpers are released for breakfast. If you haven't taken a bath, now's the ideal time because while the early morning meditation's going on, the bathrooms are being cleaned. Besides, you may sweat during the physical activity, so... I quickly learned to wait until this time to bathe. If you want to wash your clothes, now's a good time to get it done too.

9:00am - 12/1/2:00pm: Not another round of lectures?!?!?! This is the second most painful part of the day. You will be subjected to hours and hours of lectures. I don't know if you've noticed, but the art of public speaking is quite absent in Nigeria. People like to talk, hearing their voices, while delivering little to no pertinent information. You should attend with a friend, book, phone, hat to cover your face while you sleep off; if you're genuinely interested in the topic, it's advisable to have a pen and notebook for notes.

12/1/2:00pm - 4:00pm: Lunch and Personal Administration. This is downtime and very needed. You can take a nap; have lunch; complete "chores and errands" you have; hang out with friends; read a book; watch people; participate in any platoon activities if interested; make phone calls; etc. Really, it's a good time of day IF you can keep yourself entertained in one way or another. If you're bored with nothing to do, you'll hate yourself, camp, NYSC, Nigeria, and whoever talked you into signing up.

4:00pm - 6:00pm: Marching! BYYYYYYYYYY THE RIGHT, QUICK MARCH TIME, LEFT RIGHT, LEFT RIGHT, LEFT RIGHT, HALT! I quite enjoyed marching. Lol, I was actually made my platoon commander because I apparently have a commanding voice - *giggles* Lil' ol' me? Commanding? HECK YEAH!

6:00pm - 8:00pm: Dinner. Yes, it's time to eat again and more down-time to shower, have dinner, go to fellowship if you've joined one, etc. At this point, the "bad" corpers head over to Mami Market for a jolly good time. Food, drinks, dancing, gisting, hanging out...that's really it.

8:00pm - 10:00pm: See above. There's really no difference, unless there's a general camp activity, e.g. Drama and Dance competition, Miss Camp pageant, Welcome Party, etc.

Night aka practically Hell
10:00pm: LIGHTS OUT! I hated having to go to sleep every night. Remember what my bed/room situation was like. Having to lie in that uncomfortable bed, in the heat, without my close friends/family was as good as Hell to me. If you're lucky, you fall asleep as soon as you hit the bed. If you're like me, you stay awake for the next hour praying to God to knock you out, cursing the very idea of NYSC, crying for the comfort of home, until mercifully you drift off into sleep... I hope you prayed to sleep THROUGH the night. God forbid you wake up because you're covered in sweat, or you can feel the mosquitoes chomping away on your body!


Really, camp isn't that bad. Well, at night it is. During the day, it's not. Some people got passes to leave and would only come in the daytime - lucky sissies that they are!!! But you are a die-hard like me with Tiger blood running through our veins, ready to conquer anything and everything like Chuck Norris... This is where I stop.

Hugs until next time!
Berry.

Guide to Surviving NYSC Orientation Camp - Platoon Registration and Accommodation

And so I was saying...

Platoon Registration
When you've submitted your forms and been given the go-ahead, it's time to report to your platoon and get registered with them. You have a Platoon Coordinator and 2-3 Military Commandants. Your platoon members can potentially become your family for the next 3 weeks, so mingle and get to know some people. You might form lifelong friendships, or even meet your future wife/hubby.

Anyways, you may spend another hour plus trying to get registered with your platoon. It depends on if they're registering you on a first-come, first-served basis, or by your number. This is the point where you

• Get your NYSC kit = Khaki shirt, khaki trouser, belt, NYSC cap, 2 pairs of socks, 1 pair of boots, 1 pair of white tennis shoes, 2 white t-shirts, and 2 pairs of shorts. Please be prepared, as all or none of the above may fit you. I was lucky - everything fit! WAIT! On one of the numerous forms you fill out, they ask for your clothing and shoe sizes... so why do they still give you kits randomly? NO SENSE WHATSOEVER.
• Fill out your information for what will be your NYSC id. You'll need to attach another passport picture here. *My advice about always having passport pictures will help you a lot. It doesn't stop at camp.*
• They might also give you a booklet which has lots of vital information in it, such as the Camp Schedule, the NYSC anthem, rules and regulations, etc.

*It took me about an hour to get registered with Platoon 5!!! Well, it could have gone a lot faster, except that the boy who was assisting the Platoon Coordinator refused to call my number. In his defense, I skipped the line :) When I got to my platoon, there had to have been at least 100 people in front of me, but my cute (sometimes) little self wormed my way to the front of the line :p. As in, I was actually sitting next to the Platoon Coordinator while she processed others. Alas, they finally called my name (much earlier than it should have been) and I smiled and greeted everyone in charge, got my kit and went to settle my...

Accommodation - Finally!!!

Hopefully your experience is easier than mine and you get a bed with as little stress as possible.

*When I first arrived in the camp and dropped off my luggage at the dorms, I was told to write my name down on a list, and come back at 9pm - at which point they would start giving out beds. Well I was there at 8:30pm sitting on my suitcase, when I noticed a gaggle of females following an older woman. I deduced that she was a camp official and my street sense told me to follow along - BEST IDEA EVER! She WAS giving out room/bed allotments. She went into each room looking for empty beds or space to put in extra bunks. After going through all the rooms on the ground floor, with about 6 extra girls getting settled, we got  up to the first floor. There was a corridor that had been converted into a room, and the lady walked in. At this point I was right behind her, and she said an extra bunk could fit in the room by the door. How about I FLEW outside and grabbed a bunk with another girl to claim that spot!

Unfortunately, we ran into a little issue - the occupants of the room were NOT having it. Putting a bunk by the door meant blocking off the main air supply into the room, and there were very few windows, which made for VERY uncomfortable living. It turned into a battle of wits, strength and raised voices. They tried to push us out, and we pushed back because we were determined at all costs to stay. The alternative was to sleep outside and there was NO WAY that would happen to me! Thankfully, the girls relented and voila...I had a bed/room! My bunk mate went downstairs to get mattresses while I watched her belongings. My mattress was about an inch thick, very uncomfortable and I felt like I was sleeping directly on the spring. 

You can negotiate with your bunk mate about sleeping on the top or bottom bunk. I chose the bottom bunk because I didn't want to worry about hopping on and off. I also had the advantage of storing my stuff (suitcase, buckets, etc) under the bed. Top bunkers have to either keep their stuff on their bed, on the side of the bed, or ask if their bunk mate to share their space under the bed.

Below is a picture of my bed! Not pretty at all, right? I got the bottom bunk as is plain to see - all pink bedding :) You kinda have to find any little thing that will make you happy - for me, it's seeing pink :p

All in all, I arrived camp at 4pm, and was settled properly by about 9:30/10 pm. From what I heard, I was lucky, because some people started their process at 8 am.

*NOTE* I must mention that people were still arriving to camp as late as Days 4 and 5, and got registered. The likelihood of getting beds are okay-ish, as a lot of our aje-butter counterparts would have elected to leave camp by then, thereby freeing up beds. 

Visit my previous post for links to other blogs chronicling the first day at camp.

So, what to write about next... A typical day at camp? How to survive/endure camp days? Tips and tricks to ease camp life? We'll see.

Au revoir ma petite jolie! 

Berry kisses from me to you.

Guide to surviving NYSC Orientation Camp - Arrival and Registration

Yoo hoo!

I've been getting a little offline feedback about the blog and I'm pleased that people find it informative, accurate and fun to read. You can also leave comments or questions at the bottom of each blog post, anonymously or otherwise.

So, it's time to face the actual arrival into camp. I'll split it into 2 posts as there's a lot to write. At this point, you should have mentally psyched yourself for the upcoming challenge... and it will challenge you to the very core of your butteriness!

There are differing opinions on whether you should arrive at your camp on the first day or come in on the second day. The advantage of getting there on Day 1 is that you're pretty much guaranteed a bed. The advantage of getting there on Day 2 is you spend one less day in camp, and the crowd is less than the first day (I think).

*NOTE* Regardless of what day you arrive in camp, you will sweat, you will stand in all sorts of lines, you will fill countless forms, you will curse the day you agreed to sign up for NYSC, you will come to realize that the 'S' in NYSC stands for STRESS; and a host of other unpleasant things. My advice to you is to pray for peace that passes understanding (AMEN to THAT!) and find/make a friend who will go through everything with you.

Arrival
First things first: when you get to the gate, your bag(s) will be searched to make sure you haven't brought in any contraband (see previous post). They may also ask to see your Call Up letter and passport, so have them handy.

*I arrived on the second day. My aunt dropped me off and wanted to come in with me to make sure I settled in okay, but they said she couldn't come in with me, so I was completely on my own. I had to put on a brave face and keep my eyes and ears open. FYI, if you want to get anything done during your NYSC year, you MUST keep your eyes and ears open. Ask fellow corpers questions about what you need to do and in what order, otherwise you will be yelled at by any number of NYSC officials.*

Accommodation
Depending on what day you arrive, and what camp you go to, there might be a waiting list for beds/rooms OR you'll have to wing it and ask someone to secure a bed for you. I don't think they allot a bed to you until after you're done registering.

*Since I arrived "late" most of the rooms and beds were already taken. I was advised to leave my luggage by the dorms and go to complete the registration process. This is where I found a friend (well, camp acquaintance, as I saw her only twice after that day). She was ahead of me and seemed to have someone helping her out, so I quickly latched on.

Registration
This is where it starts to get confusing. Remember what I said about keeping eyes and ears open? The first thing you should do when you get to the registration point is look for anyone who's already filling forms and ask them where you should start. What you need to complete the registration:

• Call Up letter
• Passport
• Passport photographs (if you took my advice from 2 posts ago, you'd have a lot left over from the Abuja NYSC Directorate registration point)
• Stapler/Hole puncher - Don't bring one in, because there are market women hovering around selling the use of their staplers and punchers. This is where having small denominations (N10, N20, N50) will come in handy.

On the whole, there are about 6 to 8 forms that you need to fill. The forms all contain THE EXACT SAME INFORMATION! What NYSC needs to do is digitize the whole process, starting from the very first point of registration at the NYSC Directorate. This will reduce the amount of paperwork corpers have to go through, and everything will be a much smoother process. Anyways, they will take your picture (the only time a computer was brought into the whole process!). In addition, they will give you a State Code number that has the following format:

2-letter state code/Year and Batch/Number e.g. LA/11C/0000 = Lagos, 2011 Batch C, 0000

Usually the last digit of your number will tell you what Platoon you're in. Each corper is placed in a platoon. Most of your camp activities will be conducted by platoons - morning drills, marching, man 'o' war, camp sanitation duties, etc. Find a friend in your platoon to make your days go by easier.

*Unfortunately, I can't remember all the forms and in what order I picked them up - Sawry :( Again, just ask around. Here's where I began to lose touch with my new friend. We started the registration process together, but I finished at least an hour before she did. I figured out what forms I needed, filled them out quickly and accurately, and spent 30 minutes watching her while she tried to fill out her forms. Seeing that it was getting dark very quickly, and I still hadn't found a room/bed or gotten my supplies from the camp market (bucket, etc), I exchanged numbers with her and went to register with my platoon.

Next post will deal with the Platoon Registration and finally getting accommodation...

Smooches!

For other people's experiences on their first day in camp and registering, go to:

1. Bombchell's Camp Diaries: Day 1 Stress, etc.
2. NYSC Year Blog - The Kit War
3. Back to Naija - Surviving NYSC

Guide to surviving NYSC Orientation Camp - Items you need in Camp

*Takes deep breath in - Is this something I want to dredge up from memory? I swore I would forget all about this after spending 21 days in camp... Ok, it's for the benefit of others, so here goes...*

So, I spent 21 days in NYSC Orientation Camp! Now, let me tell you why this is a major accomplishment in my life:

1. I never went to boarding school. EVER. Not in Nigeria. Not for college. Not for anything. The only person I've ever shared a room or bathroom with is my younger sister - not 31 other females, as was common in NYSC camp.
2. I am accustomed to constant power, clean running water, AC units, washing and drying machines, etc. Living in camp is like going hiking or back-packing = no frills lifestyle.
3. I am a VERY PICKY eater. Well, I never ate the Camp kitchen food, so...

Seeing as most people who know me think I'm a real softie, the butterest of ajes, daddy's girl, etc... I stayed in camp to prove a point: I AM STRONGER THAN YOU OR I THINK! Yay me! *doing victory dance*

One week before camp was supposed to start, I, in my infinite wisdom, decided to take an R+R trip to England. In my mind, I wanted to treat and spoil myself a little, before embarking on a 3-week period of drills and no frills. In retrospect, that might have been a bad idea. It's like moving from the Waldorf Astoria to Motel 6... 

Well, I picked up my Call Up letter in Port Harcourt (my city of residence). When I saw where I was posted to, I literally laughed out loud... my father said "No Way" and my mum called from the US saying "Go back to Abuja now, because there's no way in hell you are going there!" Long story short, I was reposted to Lagos :)

Now, there is a list of things that you should have with you during the camp period. Some of these things can be brought with you from home, or you can buy them at the "Mami Market" when you've settled into camp. 

List of things you need in camp

• White shorts, shirts and socks. BRING from home. I would say at least 3 pairs. This is what you will be wearing for the next 21 days. Some camps allow plain clothes on Sundays; mine didn't (actually they did, but only for guys - SEXIST LAGOS CAMP!!!)
• White sneakers. BRING. NYSC will supply you with one, but you'd be lucky if they fit you. Other alternative is to exchange with someone else or buy at the market. It's better to bring one that's easy to clean because they get dirty very quickly. I bought one that all I needed to do was wipe it down with water and voila!
• Dettol. BRING or BUY. It's just to disinfect your bath water, which brings me to...
• Bucket. BUY in camp Mami Market. There's no sense in traveling around with a bucket, and chances are that you'll want to leave it in camp when you're leaving anyways.
• Towel. BRING from home. At least you know it's clean. Anything you buy from Mami Market may or may not be secondhand. Now is NOT the time for vintage/thrift shopping!
• Bedsheets, pillow cases, and a pillow. BRING from home. Again, the peace of knowing what you're sleeping on is clean. Mattresses will be provided by NYSC. It is best to "double up" with the mattresses, as they are about 1 to 2 inches thick. I basically slept on the spring for 2 weeks because I got one exceedingly thin mattress :(
• Handkerchief. BRING from home. There will be BUCKETS of sweating. Do yourself a favor.
• Sleep clothes. BRING from home. *note that it is ridiculously hot at night, so a large t-shirt or long tank top and little shorts will suffice. In my experience, I went from fully clothed at night to sleeping in my underwear by the end of the camp*
• Underwear. BRING from home - DUH!!! Although I have to mention that I discovered disposable underwear at one of the stalls in the market. It's not a bad option, seeing as someone stole one of my panties! Ewwwww, how do you steal someone's underwear??? NASTY!
• Bathroom slippers. BRING or BUY. Trust me, going barefoot for even a second in camp is NOT an option. The bathrooms are filthy! The bedrooms are dirty! The corridors are icky! Just have something on your feet at all times. 
• Detergent. BUY from market. Again, this reduces the amount of load you're bringing into camp. Remember how I said camp offers no frills? You have to wash your clothes, underwear, and bed things. However, if you're lucky the mami market will have vendors offering laundry services! The only caveats are: you run the risk of your stuff getting lost (this one vendor lost my shorts, shirt and socks and had the nerve to grumble when I switched to someone else) and the money quickly adds up. It costs N50 per item, N100 for your khaki trousers or shirt, extra N50 if you want your items ironed. I'm not sure how much washing your shoes cost.
• Flashlight and batteries. BRING or BUY. Seeing as there's hardly ever any electricity, and you might want to read at night, having the flashlight helps.
• Toilet paper. BUY in Mami Market. The bathroom situation - well, I'll give tips in another post - but you do need toilet paper. Always carry around with you, just in case...
• Painkillers, malaria medicine, allergy medicine, etc. BRING from home. You do not want to make the mistake of getting ill in camp. The camp clinic is a BIG JOKE! True story - A corper from the previous batch donated at least a million naira worth of medicine to our camp clinic, and barely a few days later, they claimed to have run out of medicine *insert BB straight face here* WTH?????
• Padlock. BRING or BUY. Well, I didn't take any with me because I went to camp with a hard  Samsonite suitcase - no padlocks required. And anyways, thieves apparently were simply tearing people's bags with scissors or knives to get to their things. 
• Waist pouch/Fanny pack/Bum bag (or for the more fashion-conscious, a cross-body purse). BRING from home. The bum bags are more popular because they won't bang against you when you're active and your hands are free to do whatever. You need it to carry your money, phone, small valuables, pens, etc around with you at all times. You should sleep with it too. 
• Good old CASH MONEY! If you're like me, you would need money for laundry, to charge your phone, to eat and drink, to purchase necessary items, to buy UNnecessary items, etc. You can budget N1000 per day to cover the basics. Make sure you bring smaller denominations... I ran into issues because I had only N1000 notes most of the time. 
• Plate/Bowl or Food flask with Cup. BRING or BUY. I never ate the food provided by the camp kitchen, so I never needed these items. I only drank coffee (yup, we had a coffee stand) and ate chicken pie from TFC (Tasty Fried Chicken); shawarma (yes, we also had 3 vendors making shawarma); small chops, suya; and noodles. Ooooooh! I also bought akara in the morning (take one notch from my Aje-Butter belt), and had plantain and/or sweet potatoes for dinner. They cost N10 per piece, so it wasn't expensive and I got full on 5 pieces generally. 
• Mosquito net. Erm, considering that I still got bitten by mosquitoes EVERY NIGHT and caught malaria 3 weeks after camp, I'm not sure this having this helped. Maybe BRING mosquito repellent? But you must religiously apply it on your skin! MUST!!!

I think I'll split the Guide to Surviving NYSC Orientation Camp into different posts. It's a lot to take in at once. Coming up next, Guide to Surviving NYSC Orientation Camp  - Arrival and Registration.

Smooches!

What is NYSC?

NYSC, commonly called 'Youth Service,' stands for National Youth Service Corps.

The official NYSC website can be found here: http://www.nysc.gov.ng/

Let's start from the beginning... Between 1967 and 1970, there was a civil war in Nigeria, also known as the Biafran War. The south-easterners of Nigeria attempted to create a new nation, Biafra, due to economic, religious, and ethnic tensions. Nigeria won the war, and in 1973, created the National Youth Service Corps as a way to foster unity and appreciation of diversity among the youth of the nation. Click here for a more comprehensive look at the history of NYSC.

The basic premise was/is to send university graduates to different parts of the country (from their ethnic origins) for a period of one year. During the service year, graduates are expected to mix with people of other ethnic groups, gain one-year work experience, and engage in service to help develop their host communities.

NYSC Vision:
To develop a scheme that is dynamic enough to meet new challenges and become the leading light of youth organizations in Africa.

NYSC Mission:
To mobilize and groom graduate youths for the promotion of National Unity, Sustainable Development, Self-Reliance and prepare them for the challenges of leadership.

NYSC Service Year Components:
During the one-year service period, the program consists of 4 parts.

1. Mobilization/Orientation - This part of the program refers to the 1-2 month registration period; posting; as well as the three-week orientation in whatever NYSC Camp you have been posted to.
2. Primary Assignment - The primary assignment begins as soon as you leave the NYSC Camp. All corpers are expected to report at their place of primary assignment (PPA) as soon as they receive their posting letters. It lasts for a period of about 11 months.
3. Community Development Service - This part is done in conjunction with the primary assignment. Commonly abbreviated, the CDs, are generally by choice (unless you're a doctor or lawyer) and serves as your part in helping to develop your host community. It can range from mentoring programs, health advocacy, to sports, performing arts and much more. Each CD meets once a week, during the week, which means corpers have a 4-day work week and a day off to attend your CD group.
4. Passing Out - During the final week of the service year, corpers are brought together to evaluate their year of service. There's one last parade, during which corpers who have completed the requirements are given their certificates.

Click here to see an in-depth description of the service year.

Common Misconceptions about NYSC

1. You are exempt once you turn 30. This is a MYTH! The fact is that you are exempt from NYSC IF you receive your FIRST degree AFTER you turn 30. So those of you who want to bypass NYSC and hold out till you turn 30, might as well wait until then to graduate with your bachelor's degree.
2. Foreign-trained graduates can choose where they serve. This one is HALF TRUE - HALF FALSE. Up until this year, it was common knowledge that international students could pick between Abuja and Lagos for their NYSC postings. However, when you go to Abuja for your registration, one of the first signs you see says "Foreign-trained graduates do not have the right to choose where they serve." Being Nigeria though, there are ways around this sort of thing. 
3. Orientation Camp is simply military drills, marching, and man 'o war activities. These are components of camp, yes. But there are a gazillion mandatory lectures as well - 98% of which are boring beyond belief! In addition, there are social activities, such as dramas, dances, pageants, bonfire night, etc. 

I think I've covered the basics of NYSC so far. I will touch more on each part of the program in further postings, but I just wanted to give you a snap shot of NYSC.