the whole camp!
this past weekend all of the volunteers in my department and i had our first camp of the year: camp ALMA!!!! it involved a lot of preparation, teamwork, a lot of support from our communities and especially from you guys back home!!!
camp ALMA is a yearly camp that we as volunteers put together for young women (ages 13-18) in our communities. for many, it’s their first time of sleeping away from home, and for all it’s their first time to camp and sleep in tents. each volunteer brings 2 girls that have demonstrated great leadership skills in their communities, and they have an opportunity to build long-lasting friendships with other girls, and also learn about what the realities are of other people’s homes. for many of these girls, it’s also an opportunity to build a new support network with other girls their age who can support them in their goals to attend university and other career aspirations, as quite often this type of support is not found in the home. the camp also strives to empower the girls to be in control of the decisions that are going to be making in their life. and finally, the camp is just a lot of FUN!
activities included:
- team cheer-off contests
team rojo’s chant.
- teambuilding exercises
- trust falls…because camp would be incomplete without them
- belly dancing lessons
- creating community maps to share about the communities
- self-esteem, values and decision making
- environmental awareness
- group discussion with an obstetrician
- cuy farming
- mural painting
- telenovela play
- volleyball tournament
- campfire with s’mores
- peruvian women who made history
- yogurt making
- career assessment exam
- career fair
team rojo!
- sexual education: condom use, abstinence, finding an ideal partner
- talent show
- question and answer time
- condom race
- talent show
- …and so many other fun games!
the amazing lambayeque volunteers! and apparently too much work has made us crazy…
and to think we packed all this into 3 days is crazy! but the girls and all the volunteers had quite the memorable three days. when we left, all the girls were writing down their emails and other contact information so they could keep in touch with their new friends. numerous hugs were given. and for a few, even some tears of goodbye. and let’s not forget, that these girls walked away being empowered with new knowledge of self-awareness and a sense of capability that they can accomplish their goals, and that numerous before have done so, and so can they. and that is a mission accomplished.
always fun and games with us! thanks again for your support!!!
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