From youth camp participant to peer mentor

When Ananya first arrived at an India Development Foundation youth camp in Bengaluru, she was more comfortable listening than speaking. Her family had limited income, and daily responsibilities left little room for confidence-building activities. The camp gave her a safe place to learn, collaborate and imagine a future shaped by her own choices.

Several years later, Ananya returned as a peer mentor. She was no longer sitting at the edge of a group, waiting for someone else to begin. She was welcoming new participants, explaining activities and helping young people recognise abilities they had overlooked. Her journey shows how youth development can create a continuing circle of encouragement.

Finding confidence in a supportive group

The first camp offered Ananya something that formal lessons had not always provided: time to express herself without fear of making a mistake. Through group discussions, creative tasks, games and practical exercises, she began to see communication as a skill that could be developed. Small achievements gradually replaced the belief that leadership belonged only to outspoken students.

The setting also helped her meet young people from different backgrounds. They shared family pressures, hopes for employment and concerns about continuing education. Rather than treating these experiences as private burdens, camp activities turned them into subjects for conversation and mutual support. Ananya discovered that listening carefully was just as valuable as speaking confidently.

For families in Bengaluru’s lower-income communities, programmes like these can complement school and vocational learning. The emphasis is on self-reliance, cooperation and personal responsibility rather than a single short-term outcome. The India Development Foundation supports this wider approach through initiatives that connect community welfare, education and practical training.

Learning to lead through service

Ananya’s first leadership opportunity was modest. She was asked to help a younger participant understand the instructions for a team activity. Instead of taking over, she demonstrated the first step, waited patiently and praised the effort. That experience showed her that leadership was less about giving orders and more about making it easier for another person to participate.

As she attended further camps, Ananya became involved in planning discussions. She learned to organise materials, manage time and include quieter voices. These are transferable abilities with real value in work and community settings. They can support a young person applying for a course, preparing for an interview or contributing to a local initiative.

The experience would feel familiar to many Australians involved in school-based leadership, Scouts, sporting clubs or a TAFE pathway. In places such as Parramatta or Footscray, young volunteers often build confidence through community centres and neighbourhood programmes before taking on paid responsibilities. The same gradual process can help young people in Bengaluru move from participation to dependable leadership.

Returning with a new purpose

After completing her studies, Ananya stayed connected with the people she had met at camp. She understood that many new participants needed encouragement before they could take part fully. When an invitation came to assist as a peer mentor, she accepted, even though she was nervous about being viewed as an authority figure.

Her role began with practical tasks: greeting families, preparing activities and checking that everyone had a partner during group work. Over time, she started leading conversations about study habits, workplace expectations and personal goals. Because she had faced similar uncertainty, participants trusted her advice. She could explain challenges in everyday language instead of presenting distant or unrealistic examples.

Peer mentoring also gave Ananya a clearer understanding of responsibility. She learned when to offer guidance and when to refer a young person to an experienced facilitator. She became attentive to safeguarding, privacy and respectful communication. These habits matter in any youth programme, just as they do for volunteers in Australia who may need a Working with Children Check before supporting children and teenagers.

Skills that travel beyond the camp

The benefits of Ananya’s development reached into other areas of her life. She became more comfortable speaking with adults, organising small events and following through on commitments. The confidence gained through mentoring supported her interest in practical work and community service. It also strengthened her ability to encourage other women and young people facing financial or social disadvantage.

IDF’s wider activities include vocational and self-reliance training, such as dress-making and screen-printing, alongside education and welfare support. A youth camp participant may therefore encounter a broader network of opportunities rather than a single isolated event. The community activities help show how personal growth can connect with skills, livelihoods and service to others.

For Australian supporters, this connection is important because charitable giving is increasingly assessed through evidence of meaningful community outcomes. People in Melbourne, Brisbane and regional towns often look for organisations that combine practical assistance with long-term capability. A story such as Ananya’s illustrates that impact without reducing a young person to a statistic: she received support, developed agency and then contributed her own time to others.

The pathway also reflects the value of intergenerational learning. A participant does not need to wait until becoming an expert to encourage someone else. With appropriate supervision, lived experience can make guidance more accessible and help build trust between a programme and the families it serves.

A circle that continues to grow

Ananya now tells new participants that confidence is rarely a sudden transformation. It develops through repeated chances to try, reflect and try again. Her message is especially meaningful to young people who have been told, directly or indirectly, to keep their ambitions small. She shows them that a quiet beginning can lead to a visible contribution.

Her story also changes the way families view community programmes. Parents can see that a camp is not simply a day of activities. It may help a young person practise communication, form constructive friendships and recognise a possible role in supporting others. When former participants return as mentors, families see a pathway that extends beyond the original programme.

The model is sustainable because it values relationships as well as resources. Funding can provide materials, training and safe venues, while committed mentors bring continuity and trust. For an organisation working with disadvantaged communities, each successful participant can become part of a growing network of encouragement.

Supporters in Australia can help strengthen this cycle by sharing IDF’s work with community groups, multicultural associations, schools, faith communities and local service clubs. Australian donors should check the organisation’s giving information and their own tax position, as tax deductibility depends on the relevant legal arrangements rather than on an overseas charity’s status alone.

A contribution to India Development Foundation can help create the conditions in which young people gain skills, confidence and a reason to return as mentors. Visit the organisation’s website to learn about its programmes, share its work with others, or support initiatives that help disadvantaged women, children and young people build more secure futures.