Boys and Girls Camps

During the month of July I participated in two of the numerous camps that volunteers all over the country put on during the summer months.  This year there were day camps, overnight camps, camps for boys, camps for girls, both big and small. They are in my opinion one of the most successful projects that volunteers do during their Peace Corps service. We can cram all of the important thing we want kids to learn and do into one week!

The first camp was for girls ages 11-16 (grades 6-8) in the capital of Porto Novo. It is called Camp GLOW  (Girls Leading Our World). Volunteers from all over southern Benin participated and brought girls to attend. We chose girls based on their grades, our impressions of if they would be active participants, and their availability.  We also invited “tutrices” or camp counselors. These were mostly working women from volunteers’ communities that stayed with the girls and sometimes led sessions. We rented out part of a Christian conference center that included a kitchen, dorm rooms, and a room to hold our sessions. The week was full of activities such as a field trip to the old royal palace of Porto Novo, soccer games, a movie night, a necklace-making session and lots of presentations. People from the community were invited to speak about their careers, adolescence, and women and children’s rights. Volunteers also presented on topics such as budgeting, malaria, and study skills.  

The second camp was for boys ages 11-16 in the southern, historic city of Ouidah. It was the first boys camp in southern Benin and it was very successful. We called it Camp GRACE (respectful boys learning how to create equality in French). It was very similar to the girls camp except that we had male “tuteurs” as counselors. We stayed on the campus of a private girls school with separate facilities for sleeping and holding activities. The field trips included a guide-led slave route tour where the boys learned about how slaves went from being sold to being put onto the slave ships at the Point of No Return. They also visited the voodoo Temple of the Pythons and everyone wore a python around their neck.  There were two art sessions, one music lesson, and a soccer tournament. They learned about sexual harassment, the roles of men and women, HIV/AIDS, nutrition and food security, and career planning to name a few of the topics.

At both of the camps, the students were split up into teams. Throughout the week they earned points based on good behavior, cleaning up after themselves, and participation. At the end of the week, the top two teams got prizes. This technique really helped keep them under control! On the last night of the camps, each team performed skits based on one of the topics they learned about during the week. This was a great way for us as volunteers to see what they learned and to wrap up the week. It was very impressive to see what they came up with! Both of the weeks were also full of songs and games. We taught them songs in English and French, Simon Says, Duck Duck Goose, and countless other fun ways to pass the time. 

We could tell everyone had a good time because they all said they wanted to come back next year. The opportunity to go to camp away from home was a big deal for many of the kids. When I talked with parents before and after the camp, they expressed their gratitude to me over and over (and I’m sure they were also glad to get their kids back in one piece!) During the summer months, most kids hang around at home, find some form of work, or take summer classes. We volunteers hope that camp was the highlight of their summer this year! Although we brought our American ideas of camp to Benin, kids are the same no matter what continent you’re on. What kid wouldn’t enjoy a week away from home to have all of the fun that we did? I can't write a post about these camps without mentioning that they aren't possible without the support from friends and family back in the states. The community makes a 25% contribution and the rest is you! Thank you to everyone who helped out this year and stayed tuned for information about 2013!