VHP Children’s residential camp is held annually during the school holidays. As an opportunity for the kids to immerse themselves in an environment where they are able to learn about both the Hindu dharma and general life skills with an equal emphasis placed on physical, educational and cultural activities, providing a holistic experience for everyone who attends. While the main selling point of the camp is the yearly themes, related to our culture, the overall aim is to cultivate independence (स्वावलंबी) within the children, and provide them with some fun.

We work as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम) and all participants including volunteers look forward to the camp every year which is filled with fun, laughter and many memorable cherished moments.

The youth camp was initiated to create an awareness amongst our Australian Hindu youths about our cultural values and provide them with the tools to succeed in life. We structure it in such a way that their appreciation of our ancestors is brought about by directly correlating to our modern life.

Why? Youths generally begin questioning why we do certain things or why we still refer to the epics when it happened so long ago. But the reality is, the epics are just the pathway in providing a deeper explanation into our daily chores, which is explored successfully.  By having something to relate the past with the present, youths are given the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of what being a Hindu means. Through this, they are also taught how to cultivate personal and social skills. Some examples include goal setting, team spirit, leadership skills and the importance of helping around the house. However, in saying all this, at its core, youth camp is really about bringing everyone together and creating an atmosphere of fun, laughter and great times.