By the time Gulder Ultimate Search Season 12 Age of Craftsmanship ended, the show had produced 18 winners. Yes, 18 winners because every single man and woman who entered the jungle, formed the Amorokin Camp, became a member of either of the three clans: Irin, Amo and Iroko, came out a winner; Their lives will never remain the same.
Each member of the Amorokin camp has gone through a journey to discover their strengths and how best to harness them towards success. They also had the opportunity to discover their weaknesses and how best to either improve on them or complement these weaknesses with other important qualities.
Only one contestant was disqualified in this year’s Gulder Ultimate Search: Mfon Mikel. He was asked to leave after he threatened another contestant, Esitima. Even before the council of elders asked him to leave at the place of the talking drum, Mfon himself had the opportunity to reflect on his action and he expressed remorse for his inability to control his temper. Although he left the jungle seemingly unceremoniously, he took with him an important life lesson that will shape him forever.
For others, their stay was dependent on whether they survived each task. The longer they stayed, the more physically and mentally difficult the tasks became. There was Yankari who was selected as the weakest link in his clan but rose up to finish in the top seven. Only four ladies entered the jungle: Yet, two of them made it into the top five as they competed vigorously against their male counterparts to dispel any perceived inherent weakness.
Damilola throughout his stay in the jungle spoke about his growth and how he learned to process information and understand them before acting on them. Odudu was almost hidden behind the shadows at the beginning of the show but steadily survived each task to get to the top. Damola recognised his strength in being able to solve puzzles and used it to his advantage. He also realised that his small frame made him disadvantaged in some areas and so made sure to overperform in other areas to make up for it. There was a time when he left a task after he already knew he wouldn’t be the last man standing and walked away from it in order to prepare for another task.
Although Odudu became the ultimate craftsman, every single person who was on the quest with him have all shown they are worthy winners too.
The show has allowed each contender to find their individual self and grow from task to task. The farther they stayed in the jungle, the more they admitted that they discovered something unique about themselves. At the end of the day, they were all released into society with a strong sense of competition and determination while maintaining respect for others around them. Each man and woman left the jungle anew.
