Southern Province GLOW & BE Camps

During the month of August I had the pleasure of participating in this season’s GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) & BE (Boys Excelling) Camps. Last November, I organized GLOW & BE Camps for my district and enjoyed them immensely. Running the camps was a fantastic experience and I learned a lot from working with Rwandan officials and coordinating logistics, but I missed the opportunity to really get to know the students and participate in many of the fun camp activities. So, when volunteers began planning for summer camps I volunteered to be a camp facilitator instead of administrator, and I had a blast.

Playing an ice-breaker during Camp BE

The goal for GLOW & BE Camps across Rwanda (and most countries where Peace Corps Volunteers put on camps) is to teach valuable life skills that will empower youth to make good decisions, think about their future, their health, and gender equality. In Rwanda, GLOW & BE Camps are funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an initiative aimed at addressing the global HIV/AIDS pandemic; so the camps also focus on teaching campers about HIV/AIDS. Camps include a two day Training-of-Trainers for PCVs, community counterparts, and students who have previously completed the camps. After facilitators have been trained on the general camp philosophy, week activities, and lessons, the campers arrive for four to five days of nonstop action. The days are consumed by ice breakers, cheers, life skills lessons, guest speakers, and other camp activities like making s’mores.

I am certainly not a camp person, and while I did sing “Boom-Chica-Boom” around the camp fire, I won’t be sad if I never have to do it again. Truth be told, I really hope I never hear that song again.

My favorite parts of camps were the lessons. I learned just as much if not more than the students while teaching communication skills, leadership styles, and healthy relationships. My primary duties at post involve working with adults, who are often less eager to learn new things and generally more comfortable in their established routines. With students, the excitement is palpable and invigorating. The two weeks I spent at the camps reminded me why I joined Peace Corps in the first place and really made me feel like my work here means something.

With my "Hero Group" at Camp GLOW

Several district and regional camps were conducted across Rwanda during the months of July and August.  Since Peace Corps came to Rwanda in 2009, four rounds of camps have been conducted. This group was the second done at the regional and district level. It gave me great pleasure to witness how much improvement is being made, how many good practices from previous camps have been kept and how many lessons have been learned. The challenges involved in pioneering a project are many, but the rewards are great.