“Me? A volunteer?” Bayane on leading in the youth movement

Today, Friday 23 October, Bayane Benammar (20) proudly goes to class in her uniform. It is Youth Movement Day. Bayane is a leader at KSA Pius X in Kortrijk, together with 33 others. She herself never saw that as volunteering.

Yet that is exactly what it is. In the 2024-2025 working year, Flemish youth movements counted around 42,000 leaders. All volunteers, just like Bayane.

Is youth movement leadership volunteering?

When the City of Kortrijk asked Bayane about her volunteering, she had to think for a moment.

“Me? A volunteer? What I do at KSA is so much fun that I never saw it as volunteering.”

We asked her if she looks at it differently now.

“Yes, now I'm much more aware that being a leader in a youth movement is also volunteering. Every week we commit ourselves to our members, alongside our studies and other things we do. That takes a lot of time and commitment.”

How much time does leading take?

A lot. Bayane's Friday evenings are spent preparing for the Saturday activity. On Saturday, the leaders set everything up, run the activity, and clean up afterwards.

“That takes up a large chunk of your free time, but you are rewarded weekly for your efforts. On Saturday, you see the kids romping around and having fun, and that gives you a feeling of: ‘Yes, we did it!’. Over time that becomes somewhat addictive, which makes you keep giving.”

The highlight of the year is the summer camp. Parents then entrust around 100 to 150 children to the leaders for a week.

“You want everyone to have an epic time, but we also all need to return in one piece. That's why we plan the trip down to the finest detail.”

A month beforehand, the leaders are already working on it full-time. And then the time finally comes.

“At the end of the tunnel, that intense week of blissful togetherness finally follows. After that, we fall into a collective black hole and dream of the next edition.”

What do you learn as a leader?

“A lot!” says Bayane. Being flexible, for example.

“No matter how well you prepare an activity, weekend or camp, something always goes differently than planned. At a moment like that, you need to be able to switch gears quickly and adapt.”

And working together with a large group, keeping each other in mind.

“You learn to bounce off one another and look for solutions together. Those are things you can use well not just at KSA, but also in daily life.”

Why does Bayane keep giving?

For Bayane, it is mainly about the group.

“Being able to experience that wonderful sense of group belonging as a young person is such a beautiful gift. At that age, it's a source of fun and connection, as well as a safe safety net. Moreover, as a group you go through an entire growth process: you start together, and ultimately make way for the next generation.”

That feeling doesn't disappear when you stop. At KSA Pius X, former leaders still voluntarily come to cook at camp to relive that atmosphere. According to Bayane, that says it all.

This year she is head leader, alongside her degree in Orthopedagogics. More responsibility, but she feels at ease with it.

“But it will be fine. I'm a doer, and I handle a packed schedule well.”

Why does she put so much time into it? Because she herself received what she is now passing on.

“As a child, I made friends for life thanks to those Saturdays and summer camps. I wish such a tight-knit group of friends for everyone who comes after me. As a volunteer head leader, I happily invest time and effort into that.”

What does Bayane do on Youth Movement Day?

“I'm still studying, so of course I proudly go to class in my uniform. It's always fun on a day like that to see which other students are also in a youth movement.”

Around lunchtime, the leaders of KSA Pius X head to Basisschool Pius X, where many of their members go to school. Traditionally, they play classic KSA games there.

Once a leader, always a volunteer?

Does Bayane see herself still doing voluntary work after her leadership years? “Yes, I think so!”

“At KSA, you see every week how much joy children get from those moments. That makes volunteering so valuable: you can truly mean something to others.”

What kind of volunteering that will be, she doesn't know yet. But she considers it important that people stay committed to helping others. She already has the example: the former leaders who come to cook at camp.

Bayane's story first appeared in “Ik ben vrji gewild, en gie?”, the City of Kortrijk's series about volunteers. She is the youngest volunteer in that series. Want more stories? Read how Marc volunteers at five organisations, or Glenn's story.

Also feel like committing yourself? If you live in Kortrijk, discover more volunteering in Kortrijk. Do you live somewhere else and want to do something with children or young people? Find volunteering near you.

To all leaders: thank you. See you soon!

Sources

• City of Kortrijk, Bayane Benammar, in the series “Ik ben vrji gewild, en gie?”

• Additional questions to Bayane Benammar, October 2026

• Statistics Flanders, Youth association membership numbers, published on 11 December 2025