After successfully completing the bronze and silver levels of DOFE, 16-year-old Jakub Rafoth is now completing the gold level. He is also one of the faces of the DOFE campaign „Don't let others decide for you“. What has he learned through DOFE and why would he recommend participating in the program?
Do you remember when you started at DOFE? Why did you decide to apply?
I started the DOFE program at the beginning of ninth grade. At first, I didn't really know what it was about - all I knew was that you went on expeditions and that you had to do different activities regularly. Thanks to my friends who enthusiastically signed up for DOFE, I decided to join and find out what it was all about. I have always enjoyed hiking and hoped that DOFE would not only allow me to pursue it more, but also help me get away from school, which takes up most of my free time, at least for a while.
In DOFE you passed bronze, in silver you are now waiting for the ceremony and have started to fill gold. If you had to sum it up, what did DOFE give you?
Within the first few months in the DOFE program, I noticed that I was doing more running. I didn't miss a single week where I didn't log my training hours. DOFE has helped me not only with better time management, but also with keeping in touch with my friends. We met regularly, planned expeditions together, prepared for them and discussed the whole program. After completing two official expeditions and two preparatory expeditions, I not only gained valuable experience of being in the outdoors, but also learned how to work better as a team, overcome challenges and push my own boundaries. The DOFE program has motivated me to be persistent, disciplined and better at time management, skills that I can use in my everyday life.
How do you evaluate your participation in the program now (a little) in retrospect?
During the last two years of Bronze and Silver level fulfillment, I have engaged in activities that I would not normally engage in. Despite my increasing school commitments, I am glad that I have found time to play sports and take on new challenges, such as volunteering in the school art studio to help clean the art room. Thanks to DOFE, I developed a regular routine and completed activities every week, which helped me maintain discipline and prevented me from skipping some activities.
Could you briefly summarize what you did at each level?
In my first year at DOFE, while fulfilling the bronze level, I took German, running, and helped out several times a month with running the children's club, which I had been attending since I was eight years old. Last year, while completing the silver level, I focused on figure painting, regular gym visits, running, and volunteering in the school art studio.
A good selection of activities made the DOFE filling quite easy
What is the most important thing you have learned in DOFE?
For me, the most important thing was regularity and completing activities on time on a weekly basis. In the beginning, three hours of activities a week seemed almost impossible, but over time I realized that if you choose activities that you enjoy and are interested in, it is much easier to achieve.
Do you think you will use some of the experience you gained in DOFE in the future? Or have you already used some of them?
Thanks to two expeditions a year, for which we as a team always prepared for several weeks in advance, I learned not only to pack light, but also to work efficiently with a map and to navigate from point A to point B. I've used these skills several times since the start of DOFE - for example, when I went on a hike with my friends, but also even in some geography classes.
I have improved my communication and cooperation with people
Do you feel that you have changed or moved in any way thanks to DOFE?
From the beginning I started to feel more independent and had a great feeling of being able to track and record my own activities. I have progressed in many ways - not only in improving my German, but also in cooperation and communication with people, which I consider one of the most important skills one can learn at a young age. Thanks to DOFE, I also realized how important it is to set goals and work towards them - slowly, but with perseverance and regularity. This comes in handy not only in my studies but also in my personal life.
Are you able to continue some of the activities you did in DOFE?
To this day I continue to speak German, run and go to the gym regularly. This year, while fulfilling the gold level, I focused on cooking the food I tasted in restaurants. I found it more interesting to buy ingredients in advance and combine cooking, which I enjoy, with completing one of the activities in DOFE. This skill will definitely come in handy in the future and I don't plan to stop doing it. Plus, because of my celiac disease, good gluten-free food will always interest me.
If you could choose two or three experiences that you like to remember in connection with DOFE, what would they be?
They would definitely be expeditions I always looked forward to. Spending a few days in the great outdoors with friends, whether it was on a weekend or during the school week, was always fun for me. While it wasn't easy carrying a tent, food and all the gear on my back, we always found a way to enjoy ourselves and take something away from it. The other experience that stayed with me was bonding with people I hadn't had contact with in a while. This happened two years ago when I rejoined the club where I used to spend part of my week. As a result, I re-established relationships that I might otherwise have lost, and to this day my friends from the troop and I still see each other regularly. The third memorable experience was the opportunity to try out new skills that I would not have picked up otherwise. Whether it was organizing activities, planning expeditions, or improving my German language and cooking, all of these experiences have helped me not only in DOFE, but also in everyday life.
Expeditions were probably nothing new for you, you were already in a hiking club before. Or did they surprise you in any way?
Since I was young I used to go to three-week camps in the Novohradské hory mountains and on weekend trips around the Czech Republic. Mostly we travelled with backpacks carrying sleeping bags and food, and if I were to compare it to DOFE expeditions, I wouldn't find much difference between them. The only thing that surprised me was that on almost every expedition - whether training or final - we were caught in rain, fog or strong winds. Fortunately, we also had beautiful days, and nothing ever deterred us from enjoying the expeditions to the fullest. However, DOFE expeditions are a bit more demanding, mainly because we have to plan our route, places to sleep, how many kilometers we will walk and where we will eat along the way. We are currently planning a golden expedition to the Low Tatras in June, so let's see how this challenge will work out!
Motivation for the next levels were classmates
What has always motivated you to join the next level? After bronze to silver and then to gold?
The biggest motivation for me was that I was not alone - my classmates continued with me, which gave me the desire to go further. Once we had done bronze and silver together, I felt sad not to continue on to gold. I found that completing the activities not only entertained me but also pushed me further. And of course, expeditions have always been a great motivator. Spending a few nights in the outdoors with friends, planning my own routes and overcoming obstacles was something I always enjoyed and looked forward to!
What would you say to someone who is hesitating to join DOFE?
Definitely go for it! DOFE is for everyone - you can do it anywhere, anytime, and you choose the activities you enjoy. You'll soon find that time spent with friends on expeditions will be unforgettable, and if you choose something you're really interested in, completing activities on a weekly basis will be no problem for you!
