The 88th National Youth Service graduation witnessed over 14,602 recruits completing their six-month training program, renowned for shaping character and instilling a strong sense of discipline, patriotism, loyalty, integrity, duty, and service to the nation.
This program, however, is renowned for its intensity and rigor, designed to build resilience in recruits. Participants rise early in the morning to engage in demanding physical training, which includes rigorous drills and combat exercises.
This article details the daily routine of a typical NYS recruit stationed at the Gilgil or Naivasha training college, providing an in-depth look at the activities performed over a 24-hour period.
A typical day for a recruit starts at 3:00 a.m., when they wake up as part of their training regimen. They then perform the 5BX routine, consisting of five body exercises designed to keep them energized and alert for the day’s activities. This routine includes running and cardio exercises.
Following this, at 4:00 a.m., recruits begin their daily cleaning activities, known as ‘Fatigue,’ where they clean their barracks. This involves thoroughly scrubbing slabs, cleaning ablution blocks, picking up garbage, and performing other maintenance tasks.
Afterward, they have breakfast, which consists of a cup of tea and three slices of bread. At 5:00 a.m., they proceed to the parade ground for rehearsals, benediction, announcements, and inspections, which typically last around two hours.
At 8:00 a.m., the day’s program officially begins, featuring drills, paramilitary training, and career education. The military-style instruction includes stealth training, where recruits learn to crawl through enemy territory while camouflaged with vegetation, and self-defense training, which covers hand-to-hand combat techniques.
Other rigorous activities include low crawls over long distances and carrying a colleague in a fireman’s carry position while racing. The intensity can increase with log races, which feature various challenges such as carrying colleagues while holding a log, performing sit-ups with the log held in hand, and running at top speed through off-road areas with logs balanced on their shoulders.
In career education, recruits receive vocational training tailored to their chosen field. They undertake courses in areas such as fashion and design, engineering, catering, business management, secretarial work, plant operation, driving, and construction, among others.
They then take a tea break at 10:00 a.m. Afterward, recruits resume their activities at 11:00 a.m., either continuing their training or attending classes for approximately two hours.
Lunch break begins at 1.00 p.m where the recruits converge in their dining halls for a generous serving of rice and green grams accompanied by boiled potatoes. This meal leaves them satiated to power through the final activities of the day that begin at 2.00 p.m.
During this time, they engage in physical activities for two hours, including running long distances to build stamina and resilience.
When the program concludes at 4:00 p.m., recruits return to their barracks for another round of cleaning. Athletes head to their training sessions while the others tidy the sleeping quarters. During this time, they also clean and iron their uniforms and shine their boots. According to NYS standards, boots should be polished to a smooth, mirror-like finish, free of scuffs or dirt, reflecting the recruits’ pride in their appearance and adherence to military standards.
Supper is served at 5:00 p.m., with each recruit receiving standard blocks of ugali accompanied by greens or cabbage. Meat servings are also provided, alternating between Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
At 6:00 p.m., trainees can visit the camp’s canteen to purchase snacks and commodities not available within the camp. Others head to the watering hole to collect water needed for the next morning’s Fatigue activities.
At 7:00 p.m., a barrack meeting is held, which can last between one and two hours, depending on the training instructors present. Following the meeting, evening devotions take place, with recruits from various religious backgrounds coming together for prayers.
The day concludes at 9:00 p.m., when trainers give instructions for the sleep schedule. Recruits then retire to bed, preparing for another day of intense training.
