Summer camp seems to be a staple of the American childhood
experience. After all, parents need some way to keep their kids busy
and out of trouble once the summer vacation starts. But here in
Burkina, life is a little different. The school vacation corresponds
to the growing season, and once students are out of school for the
year, they often head to the fields to plant corn, millet, beans,
sesame, and other crops. There are very few other options for
students during the summer.
Last year, a few PCVs brought an international Peace Corps program,
Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World), to Burkina. Here, it became Camp
G2LOW (Girls and Guys Leading Our World) to include male
student participants. This summer camp aims to offer students at the
top of their class a chance to continue their education and get
leadership training during their vacation. Sessions focus on leading
a healthy lifestyle, becoming an active and informed citizen, and
promoting gender equality. And of course, there will also be fun
activities for the students such as yoga, games, and s'mores. This
year, the camp has expanded to 4 locations, and a total of 240 girls
and 240 guys will be able to participate. Each site will hold one
week of camp for 60 girls, and the following week for 60 guys.
Needless to say, organizing these camps will be a big task. I'm on
the planning committee for the camp in Fada, the regional capital of
the Eastern province in Burkina. We'll hopefully also be partnering
with the local offices of the Burkina Ministry of Youth and National
Volunteer Program in Fada. The camp won't be until July or August,
but there's a lot to do before then! We'll have to contact and hold
meetings with villages that wish to participate, fundraise, determine
how to select participants, order supplies, plan the schedule, and
hold a training of trainers with our Burkinabe facilitators.
And we'll need your help to make Camp G2LOW possible! The
cost of each camp is approximately $11,500. About half of the cost
will be contributed by the community (lodging, transportation,
volunteer facilitators, etc.), but that means a significant amount
still needs to be raised for each camp. The exact figures for the
Fada camp are as follows:
Total cost: $11,801.06
Community contribution: $5376.61
Amount left to raise: $6424.45
More
details about Camp G2LOW
and how to donate can be found here:
http://www.pcburkina.org/camp-glow
(Click on the image for the Fada camp to donate to us Easterners!)
Thanks in advance for your help!
