V5 - Camps: GLOW & BE, By Nora Nunn and Malcolm Cunningham

Camps: GLOW & BE
Photo essay by Malcolm Cunningham
Text by Nora Nunn

GLOW camper Beatrice Mahoro leads PCV facilitator Camille Simpson during a ropes course.

GLOW
Rwanda's Parliament ranks first in the world in terms of the representation of women (56.3%). Given this extraordinary statistic, it seems a natural place to host Camp GLOW, which stands for Girls Leading Our World. The purpose of Camp GLOW is to encourage young women to become active citizens by building their self-esteem and confidence, increasing their self-awareness, and developing their skills in goal setting, assertiveness, health, and career and life planning. When the first group of Peace Corps health volunteers arrived in Rwanda in 2009, they hosted Camp GLOW at the Red Cross in Kigali in December of that year. Encouraged by the first camp‘s success, Peace Corps welcomed 98 girls to its second Camp GLOW in collaboration with the Institut Catholic de Kabgayi from December 8-13, 2010 in Gitarama, located in Rwanda‘s southern province.

Camp GLOW began in Romania in 1995. While various Peace Corps countries use a similar GLOW curriculum, the lessons are presented in a culturally sensitive and specific way. Each PCV facilitator is paired with a host-country national facilitator to instruct a group of 12-13 campers. "This pairing creates an amazing bond . . . that helps us learn as PCVs and also passes on the information in sustainable ways," said PCV Emily Dubois Hollander, one of the directors of Camp GLOW. Facilitator Jeanne Mukangenzi echoed this sentiment, also noting the importance of the junior counselors, girls who participated as campers in 2009 and were selected based on their outstanding leadership. "It was a strong team. We all worked together," she said.

Left: GLOW campers participate in an icebreaker exercise called "Chief."

The 98 campers, aged from 15 to 20 years old, were selected from a pool of 1,000 applicants and chosen based on the strength of their essays, which were written in English—the language of instruction at Camp GLOW. Camp GLOW, which was funded by PEPFAR, was free of charge to its participants. The regional diversity of the campers enriches the experience, said Shaida Kamali, a junior counselor from Kigali whose goal is to help others by being a doctor. "My favorite experience was knowing new people and learning how things are perceived by others," she said.

Learning at Camp GLOW took place both inside and outside of the classroom. Girls and their facilitators explored topics such as goal setting, the immune system, HIV transmission and prevention, gender roles, and self-esteem. Each group of campers was named after and learned about a strong female leader such as Mother Teresa, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and Rosa Parks. Career panels, belly dancing, creative writing, team-building activities, and a talent show were among the myriad of other activities in which the girls participated. During most any tea break, many campers could be found in the "affirmation room," where girls could write affirmations, or positive messages, about anyone at Camp GLOW and then place the encouraging note in the person・s individualized envelope. One facilitator compared the wall of envelopes stuffed with handwritten messages to a type of non-virtual "facebook."

We as PCVs hope that the knowledge, skills, and attitudes imparted from Camp GLOW will travel beyond the walls of the campgrounds; based on campers‘ testimonies, they will. Camper Grace Uwamahoro, who dreams of being a neurosurgeon, plans to teach her class at school what she learned at GLOW. "The condom demonstration opened my eyes,‖she said. Camper Beatrice Mahoro, whose goal is to become a tailor, also intends to share new ideas with her friends at home. ―I learned how to protect myself from pressure from boys,"she said. "We have changed . . . and we will plant the seeds of change," attested junior counselor Grace Mushimiyimana.

During Camp GLOW‘s closing ceremony, the campers listened to the sagacious words of Rwandan Honorable Member of Parliament Euthalie Nyirabega, who encouraged the girls to use their time efficiently in order to achieve their personal goals. "I am sure that we will be hearing from ladies who are Rwanda‘s future leaders that have participated in Camp GLOW," said Shaida Kamali. While Camp GLOW exhorts its campers to set ambitious personal and professional goals, one the camp‘s strongest themes is that true leadership starts within. "We would love if someone becomes the leader of Rwanda," said Emily Dubois Hollander. "But the most important thing is that girls become the leaders of their own lives."

Above: PCV Ashley Williamson advises a GLOW camper about interview skills. Below: Camp BE facilitators and campers

BE
If Rwandan girls are leading our world, Rwandan boys will be beside them, working as a team. BE, Peace Corps Rwanda‘s leadership camp for boys, stands for Boys Excelling. Camp BE was held for the first time in Rwanda in the week following Camp GLOW from December 15-20, 2010 and it hosted 64 boys whose ages ranged from 15 to 20.

 "We hosted Camp BE because boys are an equally important part of female empowerment," said PCV Meredith Lu, one of the Camp BE directors. "You can open as many doors for girls as possible, but their male peers help bring female development into something tangible."

Certain BE participants seemed to echo Lu‘s philosophy. "Our own country wants men and women to be equal," said camper Julius Mwesige. "Gender balance is needed in Rwanda," he said. The BE curriculum included lessons that discussed traditional and modern gender roles in Rwanda. Its themes, which included leadership skills, career counseling, HIV prevention, and life skills, were similar to those of Camp GLOW.

One lesson involved learning how to say delay or say no to sex. "This lesson was especially important for boys," Lu said. "Often, it‘s the girl who needs to learn to say "no," but it‘s just as important for a boy to learn how to respect her opinion. Sometimes, the boy says "no." It‘s not just the girl‘s role. Boys and girls can be partners in delaying sex," she added.

Camper Jimmy Gaston Ndagijimana considered his most valuable lesson to be a health-related one. "I learned how to use a condom and also the difference between HIV and AIDS," he said. Jimmy, who plans to be a computer engineer, also realized the value of setting goals. "What you think, you can do, and you can be. What you dream, you can do, and you can be."

  As in Camp GLOW, PCVs and Rwandans worked in tandem as facilitators. PCV Avery Karlowich attested to the powerful combination of cross-cultural teamwork. "Working together was a way to connect with someone who grew up in this culture who was trying to instill confidence in these boys that they are future leaders," she said. Likewise, Rwandan facilitator Remy Dusange appreciated the chance to work with Americans. "PCVs care about their campers . . . they use jokes and humor to show them that they are close to them," he said.

Domicien Ndayizeye, a camper who wants to be a doctor, plans to share what he learned at Camp BE with his village. "I live in the countryside, and I want to teach my community how to use condoms in our English club," he said. "Then, they can teach the skills to their own families." Similarly, Julius is determined to impart his knowledge to friends back home. "I want to keep on advising people, as there are so many people who don‘t know where they are going, they don‘t dream; they just live. It‘s better to continue to teach others."


BE Campers participate in an HIV-prevention activity

Note: in 2011 Camps BE & GLOW will be held on a regional instead of a national level. If you would like to be involved, please contact campglowrwanda@gmail.com.