When my mother told me that she had signed me up to work as a counselor at the annual Summer Quran Camp, that takes place at Jaffari Community Centre in Toronto, I was very hesitant and slightly nervous; I had no idea what to expect. Would I be able to handle a room full of excited 9-12-year-olds? Would I be able to fulfill the expectations placed on me? But on August 14th, 2017, when I met all the lovely campers during our daily morning circle all my worries faded. I knew that the upcoming week would be filled with wonderful memories that I would share with these kids.
Every year Summer Quran Camp focuses on memorizing one surah of the Quran. This year the campers focused on learning Surah Tariq. As they played games, did crafts and ate snacks we listened to and recited surah Tariq. We continuously listened to a Qari and encouraged the kids to follow his style of reciting, which built their confidence and improved their makhraj. At Summer Quran Camp we promote an environment of positivity, there is no pressure to memorize. Each kid makes their own progress and sets their own goals. In no time Quran becomes a part of their daily lives without them even realizing it.
Now I wasn’t sure if these kids could memorize this surah in just a week’s time, after all, surah Tariq has 17 ayahs. But I learned to never underestimate the power of the Quran and the minds of children because nearly all the kids in the 9-12 category memorized the entire surah by the end of the week. This was my absolute favourite part of the camp, being able to see first hand the progress these kids made, that was the most rewarding for me. The camp included many activities in addition to the memorization of the Quran. Some of the activities were decorating aprons, participating in a scavenger hunt, making and selling lemonade for charity, designing fruit platters, as well as making personalized backpack clips. In addition, there was Yoga for campers under 8 years and sewing and basketball for campers 8 years and over. The campers also completed a beautiful workbook and also participated in classroom discussions every day going over the tafseer of the Surah. The campers had a packed week full of fun activities and managed to also memorize Surah At-Tariq and learn lots about the Surah’s benefits as well as the explanation of important concepts of the Surah.
Overall, this was an amazing week for both the counselors, the organizers as well as the campers. Looking forward to SQC 2018 iA!
This article has been written by their counselor Sumayya.
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