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!
