Camp GLOW 2012

 This last week has been one of the best for me here in Kenya. I've been so inspired by all the girls at Camp GLOW and have really felt like I've made a serious difference in their lives.

Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is a week long girls camp we hold in Kisumu every year. Each volunteer involved nominates 2 girls to go to the camp. It's an amazing experience because my girls had never been out of the village and they were able to meet girls from other parts of Kenya. Besides learning about health and business, the camp is empowering and stands up for the idea that every young woman can make a difference in their communities. The girls had the chance to do mock income generating activities, arts and crafts, condom relays and condom balloon toss, see a women's shelter and even go on a walking safari. We took the girls to the airport because many of them had never seen a plane!

 Everyday had a different health topic ranging from HIV/AIDS and STIs to Self Defence to Goal Setting and much more! There's no creative learning in Kenya so it was a great chance for the girls to learn other ways then to just simply get lectured at and memorize things. They got real life experience!

We also had a talent show which was so fun! My friend David and I were the MCs and we did our own little dance from the movie Dirty Dancing. The girls talents were really good too! Some sang songs, some did poems and others danced. It was adorable!

The best part of the camp for me was working with the deaf girls. Peace Corps has a Deaf Education sector and they mix with our camp. By the end of the week the hearing girls were using sign language and hanging out with the deaf girls! The deaf girls even did a play for the talent show. It was just so awesome to see because disabilities are not supported in Kenya like they are in America. Deaf girls get hidden away in their villages because the parents don't know what to do with them. They get denied education and normal lives just because of ignorance. So, if anything, the hearing girls learned that deaf people are no different than themselves. It was seriously incredible!

It was sad to leave camp at the end of the week! You really start to get to know some of the girls well and they've all made so many friends. My plan now is to work with the girls I brought to camp to be ambassadors with me in the village. I want to do my own small scale camp and my girls can be teachers for their friends. This was probably the best thing I've done so far and hope I can be involved more. I love working with the youth and empowering them on how to make good life decisions.


If you are interested in donating to Gender related projects such as Camp GLOW, you can make a 100% tax deductible contribution at https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=615-CFD

In the comment section make sure to write that it is for GAD (Gender and Development). Remember ALL the money goes directly to volunteers, no admin fees! Yay!

Tips for Never Getting Bored in a Rural African Village

-Exercise: whether it’s running, dance or yoga, stay active. It increases endorphins and keeps you from getting fat on all that village food they shove down your throat. Don’t be afraid to have a dance party by yourself…I do it all the time!

-Find a craft: I like making jewelry at site when I have down time. If I was a better artist I would probably try to draw or paint. My friend Henry just built a boat! Anything to keep your mind and hands busy.

-Keep movies and/or shows on your hard drive at all times: All of us volunteers share our media with each other. I’ve spent a whole day watching Dexter. Now I’m into Breaking Bad and Lost. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!

-Bring a Kindle and READ READ READ: It’s hard to find the time in America to always read what I want, especially while I was in school. This opportunity has given me the chance to read things I never thought I’d be into. And even though I will always love a fresh new book, having a Kindle with unlimited amounts of books is a plus!

-Take care of your body: After a long day in the village I like to soak my feet, do my nails and maybe even a facemask. It feels good to pamper yourself, even if it’s for no one but you.

-Have a glass of wine or two and drunk call your friends in Peace Corps and/or America: Friends love hearing from you, especially when you’re somewhat tipsy. My friends and I have made this a tradition here in Peace Corps whenever one of us goes out. And I have a few regulars back in America that seem to enjoy my calls as well (Julia! Ha)

-Learn to do the splits: It doesn’t have to be the splits, but you have two years in a small hut. Teach your body to be flexible!

-Write in a journal: I’ve done this since 3^rd grade, but writing my thoughts down really helps me stay leveled.

-Listen to music and sing loudly: It doesn’t matter if you’re a good singer or not, village people will think you are no matter what. So sing loudly and proudly to whatever song you love to jam out to. (current personal preference: Glee version of Dancing Queen).

-Make slideshows of your pictures: Most computers have some kind of windows movie maker or whatever the equivalent on a Mac is. Put together a little slideshow of home for yourself. It’s fun to share it with African friends as well!

-Plan for the future: It doesn’t have to be concrete, but thinking about what you are going to do after service can take up some fun internet browsing time (when you have internet). Or making travel plans! It’s always good to have something to look forward to.

-Write letters home: Everyone loves getting mail!

-Take long naps: hey you have all the time in the world in Africa! Take advantage of it!

Don’t be afraid to be bored. Soak it up! Remember all those times running around back home trying to get everything done. Well you have two years to finally relax! Enjoy it! Savor it! I know I do. I’m happy when I get busy here, but then I miss the days I get to sit around and do nothing. Be with your thoughts. People are so afraid to be with themselves back home. Learn about who you are and live every second, even if you aren’t doing anything at all.

Zanzibar!!!!

Tall palm trees reaching toward the sky and the Indian Ocean lapping over white sandy beaches that stretch for miles…this has been my last two weeks. After wrapping up a successful fundraising event my community put on to raise their 25% towards the maternity ward, Adam and I headed out for a few deserved weeks of vacation. We took the overnight bus to Mombasa where we taxied out to the south coast, a little town called Diani Beach. I can’t begin to describe how good it felt to see the ocean again after almost a year. I’m seriously a California girl true and true because I instantly felt myself happier amongst familiar waters. We stayed at the Swahili Beach resort which was fantastic! All we did was swim in the pool, soak up the rays and eat amazing food. I tried all kinds of seafood, I might add, and was quite pleased with myself. 

About 4 days in Diani was all we needed to get completely relaxed, but being the adventurous people we are, we were itching for some action. So off we were on our flight to Zanzibar. Never had I had a trip quite like this one. Zanzibar is so beautiful and culturally rich, all well being on the beach! The buildings stretched along side one another in rows and clusters for miles, set apart only by small ally ways to walk though. We went during the month of Ramadan so everything felt extra spiritual and majestic. We stayed in Stone Town which has an Arabian nights feel to it, with cobble stone allies lined with local craft merchants desperately trying to make a sale. I couldn’t help myself and bought a locally made wooden box, a treasure chest from Zanzibar, along with various other goodies. 

Walking through the local market you could smell the vanilla in the air and other spices as you drifted by them. Local fish were being chopped up for sale, even octopus with long gooey legs! 

One day we took a boat out to Prison Island, once used as a hospital for European boats coming into Zanzibars port. Out on the island they have a protective habitat for giant tortoises so we spent time feeding them and even holding the babies. After, we got to snorkel among the beautiful coral reef. There wasn’t many fish, but it was still a great time. 

During the evenings we usually picked a spot for a sundown cocktail and watched the majestic sunset over the water while the fishing boats sailed back into shore. Dinner was always amazing, everywhere we chose to go. Some places sported pillows on the ground so you could dine middle eastern style, others sat on the water where you could hear the waves splash in. The food I ate on this trip….well let’s just say I might have gained a few pounds.

Our last day we simply spent lounging on the beach and relaxing. I got a henna design on my hand by a nice Muslim lady. It was nice to be able to speak Kiswahili with everyone. That night we ate local food in the nearby park, all cooked kabab style on a grill. They had everything from full crabs, to lobster, tuna, falafel, and for desert we had banana crapes. Delish! 

Overall, my trip to Zanzibar has to be one of the best I’ve ever had in my life. I’m back at site now and it’s hard to adjust to after having hot showers and good food, but I’m happy to be back with Sangala.

It doesn’t end here though. I’m so busy all through August. I am heading to Pre-Service Training on Tuesday to meet the new volunteers and teach them about the Gender and Development Committee I chair. The next week is Camp GLOW, then I have mid-service medical and finally cross-sector workshops. I’m not happy to be traveling around so much and feel guilty leaving my community, but it’s nice to be busy and it keeps me going. 

Miss you all back home very much! Keep writing!

Love

Andrea