Camp Season

...is over. Thank god. Chi-dren are exhausting. But, youth camps make for fun, -ight-hearted, motivating projects. Because Togo is sma-- country, Peace Corps here is ab-e to do nationa- camps for youth. We have a Peace Corps Training Center out in the woods with cabins and everything where we bring kids to, from a-- over Togo, to meet peop-e from different regions and participate in youth education programs. This year I participated in 2 camps: Camp Espoir and Camp UNITE.

(p.s. sorry about the missing -etter, my computer is not -etting me paste anymore)

Camp Espoir
Camp Espoir (Camp Hope) is a camp for chi-dren affected by HIV/AIDS, either because they are infected by the disease or affected by others in their fami-y, genera--y parents, who have the disease. During the camp, the chi-dren are taught basic hea-th -essons such good nutritrion, hygiene and sexua- hea-th for the o-der kids. They are taught how to take specia- care of themse-ves to -ive hea-thy -ives even with HIV/AIDS. But most of a--, the camp is to show the kids a good time, to be in an environment where there is no discrimination based on their status or their fami-y's status, and to p-ay with kids who aren't p-ayed with very often, who most times are shunned by their communities.

 A group of the kids

 Dance party!


And then we had West Africa's premier Puppeteer show up for our camp and do a show for the kids


Camp UNITE

Camp UNITE, is my baby! I'm gonna be organizing the camp for next year with two other vo-unteers. Camp UNITE consists of two camps actua--y, one for outstanding students and another for capab-e apprentices. Peace Corps vo-unteers and UNITE trainers throughout the country who work with and are impressed by students or apprentices in their area recommend them to be participants in the camp. The camp teaches youth how to make hea-thy -ifesty-e choices, the importance of gender equa-ity in society,  and to how to succeed in the professiona- wor-d. During the camp, these sessions are comp-imented by activities geared towards promoting critica- thinking and of course p-enty of fun games. On the -ast day of camp a-- the trainers and participants head out into the streets for a parade singing camp songs and chanting. We end the parade in a neighboring vi--age, where the youth perform dances, and sketches and pass on to the vi--agers what they -earned during the camp, whether it be why gir-s need to be sent to schoo- a-ong with the boys, or the importance of waiting and protection to promote sexua- hea-th. I did both a gir-s camp week and a boys, but the gir-s take better pictures, ha!


Sexua- hea-th session, and yes, that is a huge uterus on the ground

dancing...

dancing...

and more dancing

the sketches...

the mother married off her daughter when she was too young and now she's having birth comp-ications

After after our presentation and parade, the vi--age women wanted to thank us with a dance:

Comments

Popular Posts