SIYIFC’25 Through My Eyes.
- Mouniirah DEME
- Sep 18, 2025
- 7 min read
Two months ago, I traveled to Shanghai for the second time. What led me there was the 19th edition of the Shanghai International Youth Interactive Friendship Camp (SIYIFC), in which I participated—not as a camper, but as a chaperone. It was my first time participating in a camp of any kind, and also my first time in this particular role. From initial doubts and apprehensions to the many wonders the camp offered, SIYIFC proved to be a truly enriching experience—one I’m excited to share with you. Thank you for joining me, and enjoy the read!
What is the SIYIFC?
The SIYIFC was first launched in 2005. With the theme "Peace, Friendship, and Future," it has attracted over 1,785 teenagers from 67 countries since its creation. The key objective of this event is to promote mutual friendship among teenagers from all over the world while also allowing them to experience Chinese culture and the city of Shanghai through fun, interactive, and cultural activities. The 19th edition reunited participants from 19 countries: Australia, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Hungary, Honduras, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Nepal, South Korea, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tunisia, Thailand, the United States of America, the United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Vietnam, plus China.
Chaperone 101.
As a chaperone, the preparation for the SIYIFC started months before the event. I was responsible for contacting the students, buying flight tickets, assisting them with visa procedures, and making sure they received all updates about the trip on time. My first challenge was that all the students came from different schools and did not know each other. Before our first video call, I wondered what we would even discuss—I didn’t know the majority either! I briefly considered asking them to take an MBTI test so I could assess their personality types and adapt accordingly, but I gave up on the idea, reminding myself that they are teenagers, many of whom might not even know what an MBTI test is. (After all, a lot of adults don’t know either.)
One thing I knew, though, is that people, in general, like to feel heard and included. Therefore, I made sure each one of them felt secure enough to express themselves by encouraging everyone to communicate in the group we had created for the occasion, and also by reaching out to them directly when they were non-responsive. I also included them in almost all decisions that needed to be made, whether it was choosing the time and places of our meetings, the clothes we wore, or the items we displayed—while having the final say, because that was my responsibility. You need a lot of tact to lead a team, let alone a team of teenagers. You can choose to lead by fear or lead by example and compassion. The latter is more effective, as the younger generation seems to fear nothing—laughs.
Arrival in Shanghai.
We left Burkina Faso on the morning of July 14 and arrived in Shanghai on the evening of July 15, where we met Team Tunisia. We thank them, by the way, because our flight actually arrived 30 minutes before theirs, but since we were going back and forth in the airport looking for a SIM cards and other stuff, we all left the airport past 9 PM. We arrived at Shanghai Datong High School—our place of residence—that same night. And after registering on different platforms, everyone received bags containing badges, T-shirts, hats, and a small bottle of liquid mint. I was wondering what it was for, but I discovered its purpose very soon after, because I caught a cold that lasted for a few days.
The cold was due to the change in temperature. Back in Burkina Faso, it was the beginning of the rainy season, so the weather was quite cool. In Shanghai, it was mid-summer, July being the hottest month. For most indoor activities, we did not feel the heat at all, but for outdoor activities it was quite challenging, especially during the first days. I remember people struggling to focus on anything other than finding an AC when we visited the YuanWang Ship on Day 3. It got better by Day 7 and 8, when we held the mini-World Cup and visited Yanguan Ancient Town in Jiaxing, about 160 km from Shanghai.
Activities and Experiences.
Indoor activities included visits to museums such as the World Skills Museum and the Shanghai Natural History Museum and Rice Mill (Day 3, 9), painting activities (Day 2, 7, 9), cultural classes (Day 1, 7), safety and first aid training (Day 2), career experience (Day 9), ecological picking experience (Day 9), traditional Chinese medicine (Day 7), rehearsals, opening & closing ceremonies (Day 2, 10), and the mini-world expo (Day 4).
After the mini-world expo, students were matched with host families with whom they stayed from the evening of Day 4 to the afternoon of Day 6. Different families arranged different activities for the students while chaperones got some time off. I spent that time with a friend of mine who traveled from Beijing to see me (🤍). We had a nice moment reconnecting after more than one year, tasting new savor of Chinese 'beverages' and noodles, visiting some places such as Love Street, the Bund, an Art Exposition at Shanghai Jiushi Art Salon and trying Thai Food. This was a recommendation from a Thai student whilst I visited their stand at the expo. Luckily, they happen to have a Thai Restaurant not far from where we were staying so I gave it a try, and it was nice.
💡Anecdote: Neither one nor the other.
As chaperones, there were quite a number of activities during which we were mostly spectators. During the first days of the camp, some students asked me why I wasn’t taking part in the activities. They were always surprised when I said that I was the chaperone of my team. But... ‘You seem so young.’ I was a few years older than the campers, but quite younger than most chaperones so, sometimes I didn’t really know how to fit into one category alone. At times I was close to other chaperones, at others to students. But I never felt any impostor syndrome because I knew I had everything it took to be in the place I was. As days passed, I even found my balance. I actually appreciated being in between because it made my experience richer. Chaperoning a team of teenagers actively tested my patience and imagination. I thank my student, @Manuella, for having my back when I was too off to keep everything together.
Key takeaways:
If you happen to take part in the next edition of the SIYIFC or any similar activity whether as a student or a chaperone here are some key takeaways that you may want to consider:
Jet lag is not a joke! Given that I am a night owl and that there is an 8-hour time difference between my country and China, it was very hard for me to have a proper night' rest. I think I only slept 4-5 hours each night and this for 10 days in a row, because we had to wake up somehow early to start activities. The first week I handled it quite well but as time passed by, I was less and less present and the worst part was after I came back home. I was sick for weeks. So be sure you don’t accumulate too much fatigue. Sleep well, eat well so you can enjoy better.
Make the first move: Don’t be afraid to be the first one to say ‘hi’ or give a smile. For that I really admire one of my students (@Alma) who despite her limited English skills had such an easiness to greet and connect with the fellow campers. It was quite impressive.
Travel lightly: You will receive many gifts and might want to buy souvenirs (though we didn’t have much time for it).
Actively take part in: Because you will miss every moment. Everything you did and mostly everything that you did not. Congrats to @Nawale who bravely made friends despite her shyness and was deeply invested in all activities.
Nurture the connections you made: Even if the camp is over and you are back to your ‘normal’ life with sometimes busy schedule and mostly time difference, don’t let the wonderful connections you made fade. But don’t push too much, because some connections are not necessarily made to last a lifetime, and that’s okay. One thing that I have learnt by studying abroad is that some of your relations are circumstantial and therefore limited in time but they are some that just need to be nurtured. (Check out my post: Can long distance friendships work? for practical tips on how to maintain long distance friendship.)
For chaperone : Always travel with a printed version of parental authorization for kids under 18. Plus, the authorization has to be signed by both parents or all legal representatives of the kid. We almost missed our flight because of it and also because some authorizations have been established by only one of the parent, which makes them invalid if both parents are alive. Luckily, for the students for whom it was the case, the second parent was also present at the airport. So, after some minutes with the police, it was sorted out. Lastly, if there is any, go to the 'Group' check-in desk or tell them you are a group so you can have your luggage checked together and get seats that are not too far from each other.
The 19th edition of the SIYIFC was truly an incredible experience. Weeks have passed, but I am still amazed by everything I experienced during those 10 days. I made many friends and fell in love with cultures I had only seen on Internet. SIYIFC was also a wonderful opportunity to meet people I would likely never encounter otherwise. It’s bittersweet, though, because for many, this may be the last time we meet—but who knows? Never say never. What about you? What was your best memory from SIYIFC if you were there? If not, have you experienced something similar? I would love to hear from you in the comments. Thank you for reading. May God bless you—take care.
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