Tanti and I getting the room ready for camp.
Peter, the artist.
The first day of TOT (training of trainers/counselor training) before the participants arrive. This is the organizing team doing the Banana Dance for the group. Lots of fun and laughs!
WOW the bugs in Pagala are huge!!
Me wearing the Mama belly. Every participant and counselor has to wear it for an hour or more while at camp to feel the 'weight' of their decisions.
Some of the Togolese women counselors enjoying a laugh.
Emily leading a ice breaker game with the counselors.
Our PC Director sharing some words of wisdom and encouragement.
The first session of camp, The Bridge Model. This is David explaining that in life, we all need to build a bridge in order to cross in to a better future and avoid the obstacles that keep us from getting to the other side. It is the base of all the activities of camp. We learn different skills like good communication and decision making, self confidence and respect. These are the wooden planks that make up the camp UNITE bridge.
Singing and chanting after learning that Yes we can make it across!
During the week of camp, the participants are faced with a series of 'challenges' that as a team, with good communication, self confidence and trust in others, they win a plank for the bridge. At the end of the week when they have won all their planks back, they can successfully traverse the bridge into a healthy life/future.
Team work!
This isn't easy! And after they succeed the first time, they have to do it again but this time with out speaking!
Pagi, the camps villan character that steals the bridge model planks at the beginning of the week. He proposes challenges and is discouraging, saying that the participants can't/won't finish but by the end of the week, he gets it and learns that he needs to change his behavior so that he too can succeed.
It is also fun!
Pagi!
The boys give it a try.
Competition, of course with the boys.
Pagi making things difficult.
But we won...
and got our plank back!
Another challenge
Get through the web without touching the cord.
Counselors give it a try during TOT.
Team work, strategy.
Another challenge. You are on an upside down boat and you must turn it right-side-up with all your passengers in tact without falling in the 'ocean'.
They got really clever!
Passing a 'message' (marble) without touching the marble.
Learning about how HIV/AIDS attacks out bodies through a hands on activity.
In a session.
Peter leading a session.
Me in action.
Singing one of the many camp songs! Lots of fun and energy.
snack time, why not sing!
Active participation. The girls grow so much self confidence through the week. It is hard to get them to answer questions during the first part and by the end of the week they are all raising their hands! It is great to see.
Playing cards during free time.
Arts and crafts
Teaching some classic American games.
Four square
Learning to make lotion.
Sports
Writing Thank you card and drawing for the camps in the US!
Dinner time!
Sketch/dance night. This is Francais getting in touch with his feminine side!
Me and Flora playing dress up!
Good times
Some traditional ethnic dances. We all learned and tried.
Continued late into the night
Girls do the same thing.
We also did some American dances. This is "Everybody Loves Saturday Night"
Human tug-a-war! So funny!
The time of their lives!
The boys doing a gender relay to show that women have so much more domestic responsibility that slows them down like caring a baby, getting water sweeping the house ect.
A fake funeral for the phrase "I can't". The girls write on a piece of paper all the things they are told that they can't do either by society or family and friends and we burry it! This is to reiterate how important self confidence is!
Burry it for good!
RIP "Je ne peux pas."
The blue group.
Winning all the planks back at the end of the week.
and we traverse together!
The last day of camp, the participants do a presentation for the community to show all that they have learned throughout the week. These are some of the girls paying close attention :)
A few of the fine organizers of camp UNITE and I.
Camp UNITE is Bananas!
A cabin group.
Sketch time.
My baby Yazid!
Some of the community members
The group heading into town for a parade to invite the community of Pagala to come hear what they have to say.
A little song and dance intermission
The parade
Boys do their part to explain what they learned at camp through a sketch
Cabins getting their certificates
And we make it to the last day! But we don't wanna go!
The girls group
It really changed their lives. They all said that they would take the light from camp and pass it on to the people of their village!
The final candle light ceremony. All the girls and boys said lot of thanks to all you wonderful people for donating you money so that they could participate in camp.
THANK YOU!
