Camp. When I think back upon the most influential experiences of my childhood, that four letter word is one of the first to come to mind. Maude Eaton Girl Scout Camp, Field Hockey and Track Camp, Grotonwood and Oceanwood Christian Camps, Cape Cod Sea Camp, Vacation Bible Camp, Leadership Camp… both attending and then working at these camps (in conjunction with my parents, teachers and mentors) were hugely responsible for making me the person I am today. While I realize that I am probably a bit more camp-crazy than the average American, I think it’s fair to say that any American knows what’s involved in “a camp.” The learners in Gasebonwe, however, had little to no clue what they were in for when they signed their permission slips for Camp G.L.O.W., but I’m happy to report that each and every one of them are now, at least partly, as camp-crazy as I.
Camp GLOWs have been put on by Peace Corps Volunteers around the world for many years now. Thus we (my fellow PCV Lesedi and I who ran the camp) had some materials and ideas to work with when it came to planning our camp which was basically meant to educate young girls on everything from self-esteem to self-sex. That said, both of us spent countless hours completing the application for a sizable grant from PEPFAR, finding a venue nearby and within our budget, creating sessions that suited the ages and needs of our girls, and attaining all the necessary supplies. When all was said and done, the preparation and completion of this camp may make GLOW one of the most stress-inducing experiences of my life, but, at the same time, one of my biggest accomplishments in life thus far.
Below I’ve attached the basic outline we created for the camp, and miraculously we managed to stick pretty close to the schedule. From the minute the girls arrived at school with blankets and backpacks in hand on Thursday morning, to the minute we offloaded the last bag back in the village on Sunday afternoon, it was all smiles for everyone involved. The total numbers came to 29 girls from grade 5-9, 4 Tswana ladies who cooked amazzzing meals with only 3 pots and a couple gas burners, and three Americans who led the sessions, activities, and games. Lesedi and I brought girls and “ran” camp, while Omphile came as an extra chaperone/official “big kid” to play games with the girls when we needed to prep. Our venue, the Boereplaas (a kind of camp/conference center in the nearby town of Vryburg- it’s name means “the farmer’s farm” in Afrikaans) turned out to be more than we ever could have hoped for. The girls slept on foam mattresses on the floor of an sizable hall where we also set up tables for the meals and crafts and a projector screen with a horseshoe of chairs for the lessons. The adults, THANK GOD, had private rooms adjacent to the hall with our own bathrooms and a bit of protection from the girls giggling after lights out. Then on the other side of a the hall was an semi-enclosed area with our burners, fridges, and a small swimming pool.
The closing surveys showed not only an enormous increase in knowledge about the topics discussed, but a real maturity in these girls. Many listed the sessions as their favorite part of camp and all described the camp as life changing to me at our weekly meeting the next day. I’d venture to guess that most “camp kids” like myself consider camp a life changing experience, but for the girls who camp to GLOW, I can only imagine what a true life-changer these four days were. Most of my girls live in 1 or 2 room mud houses and have never used a flushing toilet, much less take a hot shower (we gave lesson on how to use both)!! While in America, camp is usually the opportunity to “rough it,” but for these girls, for four days, they got a glimpse into life in the first world. They finally began to understand what I mean when I say there is a BIG WORLD OUT THERE. Several girls came to me and said that they’re going to work even harder in school so that one day she can see what else is out there.
As a result of careful planning and constant supervisions (both non-existant ideas in the village) and generally great girls, we had none of the expected bickering and complaining we had mentally prepared for with a bunch of pubescent girls. Each adult pulled her fair share of the work and barring an unexpected jump in the pool (fully closed WITH my clogs on) to scoop out a girl who lost her footing on the bottom stair of the small pool, we had NO issues. It truly was a beautiful event that ended with yet another mind-blow for the girls when they saw the first ever glow sticks and danced the night away while truly glowing.
So for all of you who helped either financially or prayerfully, THANK YOU. GLOW will always remain one of my fondest African memories and I have many of you to thank.
Keep well and keep reading as I prepare to wrap up my service and head back to the Americas in less than 3 short months!!!!
Day 1:
9:00 Driver loads at my village
9:30 Arrive/load at Lesedi’s village
12:00 Arrive to Boereplaas
make/eat lunch
get settled, make cleaning teams
2:00 Make name tags
Name game and “Gettoknowyou” Bingo
Pre-camp survey
5:00 Dinner
6:30 Session 1: Self esteem/Career building
7:30 Human Web Game
8:00 Campfire, “doubt burning” activity, songs, s’mores!
9:00 Bed
Day 2:
7:30 Breakfast
8:30 Session 2: Problem solving/saying NO
9:45 Game: Blindfolded Trust Tag
10:30 Session 3: Nutrition
11:30 Lunch
12:30 Bead-construction/Tie dye
2:30 Session 4: Sex ed
3:30 Rest: “oh captain, my captain” game
5:30 Dinner
6:30 Session 5: Periods/menstruation cycle
7:30 Charades
8:30 Journal time
9:00 Movie: The Princess and the Frog
Day 3
7:30 Breakfast
8:30 Session 6: STIs/HIV
9:30 Tie dye/Bead-construction
10:30 Session 7: Relationship Abuse/Rape
11:30 Lunch
12:30 Jewelry Construction
2:30 Session 8: Contraception
3:30 Rest:
Hang/Wash Shirts
“Animal Kingdom” game
5:30 Dinner
6:30 “Freedom and Friendship” American Girl Doll Play
7:30 Dance with GLOW STICKS!
Day 4
7:30 Breakfast
8:30 Closing survey
9:00 Awards ceremony
9:30 Wrap Up/Clean up
10:00 Get on the bus and GO!
Waka Waka : "Walk While Working" 