Two Weeks of Camp

I want to start by saying that the past two weeks were the highlight of my Peace Corps experience.  If I do nothing else while I’m here, my work at the two camps is enough reward for me.  :)

First Girl Tech: what an awesome camp!  The directors did a great job of arranging a wide variety of sciences to expose to the girls to new ideas.  The teachers set up the classes with concepts/theories and then had a fun hands-on experiment to demonstrate.  There was a nature walk, bottle rockets, a disease detectives games, the science of nutrition, the water cycle, baking soda volcanoes, and water balloon slingshots (for projectiles). 

Each day had the same schedule.

• Breakfast
• Morning announcements and a Mad Science experiment (something visually stimulating to get the girls excited about the day)
• Computer class
• Lifeskills class (science of HIV/AIDS, assertive communication, reproductive health and STIs, money skills, etc.)
• Tea time
• Reading time – science articles
• Lunch
• Guest speakers – successful women in science professions (agro-forestry scientist, doctor, forensic scientist, and a research scientist at a fishery)
• Science classes (earth science, physical science, epidemiology, nutrition, etc.)
• Group work for the science fair project
• Dinner
• Astronomy night/science movies (Bill Nye – The Science Guy, Life)
• Bedtime

It was a little harder to form relationships with the girls at this camp.  After talking to other counselors, we realized that the lack of sports/physical activities took its toll on the girls and also made it harder to really feel the team spirit.  The camp schedule was almost completely classroom sessions or study sessions.  But it was interesting to see the girls’ strengths in class – I began to notice which kind of science each girl participated in, like the ones who were quick to answer the math puzzles but didn’t care so much for nature walks.  In the end, I think every girl learned something new.

As for the accommodations, food, etc., the directors did a great job.  They gave the counselors scheduled breaks during the week; they included fruits and veggies with the meals; and they had back-up science experiments to fill time when a guest speaker was late.  (At the previous camp, the counselors were left to their own devices to entertain the girls when the schedule was off.  It was one of the hardest parts of being a counselor.)  The dorms at Girl Tech were decent, and I have accepted the fact that smelly pit latrines and cold bucket baths outside are always going to be a part of camp.

After the camp was over and the girls had gone home, the directors from Girl Tech took us (the counselors) out to lunch at a very “American” restaurant in Jinja as a ‘thank you ‘ for working at the camp.  I had the most delicious grilled veggie sandwich, spicy French fries, and a chocolate peanut butter milkshake.  It was heaven after a week of camp food.

Later that day, I made my way to Eastern Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) with three other counselors who were also at Girl Tech.  Of course we were completely exhausted  – more from lack of sleep than running around.  (The dorms were crowded and girls were frequently getting up in the middle of the night to go to the latrines or to start bathing at 5:30am.)  So when I arrived for camp #2, I had no energy.  Thankfully, there were a couple of days of counselor training before all of the girls arrived.  So it was quiet and low-key for about two days, which helped me recover and re-energize.

My Ugandan co-counselor at GLOW was a woman named Immaculate, and she is the best Ugandan camp counselor ever!  This was her third Peace Corps GLOW camp (I remembered her from Northern Camp GLOW) and I was grateful to be partnered with her while recovering from Girl Tech.  This time our team was the Crocodiles – we ended up having 9 girls (3 of them were visually impaired). 

 

Eastern Camp GLOW was far-and-away the most rewarding camp experience for me.  I taught my nutrition session on the first day and it was great.  Each group of girls participated and really understood the lesson.  In fact, they complained later that day the camp was not providing nutritiously-balanced meals.  The next day we started getting fruit with lunch.  Victory! (And a valuable lesson learned!)  :)

 The classes at Eastern Camp GLOW included:

• Healthy Living: nutrition and sanitation, malaria, and HIV/AIDS
• Lifeskills: self-esteem, gender roles, sex education, and goal setting
• Arts and Crafts: team bracelets, mural painting, team symbol, and money saving jars
• Teamwork Games: Crossing the River, The Human Knot, and Islands
• Sports/Activities: relay races, obstacle courses, kickball, and tug-of-war
• Electives: Pilates, volleyball, baking, singing/music, kickboxing, football, netball, and public speaking

The most amazing part of camp was the relationship with my girls, especially the visually impaired girls (Gloria, Eunice, and Monica).  I had hoped that our team would come together and help each other out, and for the most part we did, but there were a couple of girls who teased the Gloria, Eunice, and Monica and left them behind during group activities.  It broke my heart when I found out about the teasing (and disciplinary action was taken) – but also Immaculate and I ended up becoming very close to the three girls and helped them through every session/activity.  I escorted Gloria, Eunice, and Monica back to their homes and while riding the bus, I listened to them talk about their camp experience.  They talked and laughed and sang the camp songs the whole way home – it was beautiful to see the positive impact of Camp GLOW on these girls.  I am so thrilled that I got to be a part of this particular camp.  :)

 

 *Pictures are posted on Facebook and my Shutterfly link!