One...We're here to GLOW!
Two...We wanna show!
Three...That we can be
More, More, More, More!!
This was the cheer about 55 young Rwandan girls recited multiple times each day during the 5 day GLOW camp that I helped organize along with about 12 other volunteers. GLOW stands for Girls Leading Our World. It's an initiative that was started several years by Peace Corps Volunteers in Romania and has since spread to Peace Corps countries all over the world. This is technically the 3rd year PC Rwanda has hosted GLOW Camp but there previous year there was one camp for the whole country. This year they decided to divide it up by regions. This is all entirely volunteer run and those that wished to host a camp could but it wasn't mandatory. In all, I think there were about 5 girl's camps and 2 boy's camps (my group chose to do a girl's camp only). We applied for a $5,000 grant from PEPFAR (a worldwide Anti-AIDS initiative started during George W's presidency) that paid for everything from supplies, to food, to transportation as the camp was entirely free for the girls.
The goal of GLOW is to empower girls to be confident and to make good life decisions. Here in Rwanda, I can count on one hand the number of girls in my classes that speak up on their own accord. Although the Rwandan government is pushing heavily for gender equality (Rwanda has the highest percentage of women in parliament in the world), on the ground there are still major disparities. In America, we are taught about self-esteem, to be confident and that it's okay to be different. Even though these lessons begin at a young age these are still things most of us struggle with, but here kids are never taught any of it. For example, last term in the girl's club at my school I did a lesson about embracing our differences. When I asked the girls if it's okay to be different, they immediately responded that "No, it's bad if people are different and it would be better if everyone was the same because then there wouldn't be any conflict." I do believe this response has a lot to do with Rwanda's history, but nonetheless, a stark contrast to the answer you would get from a group of American kids.
So GLOW camp is an opportunity to give these girls a chance to be themselves and to feel good about who they are. Each day we had 3 lessons which included topics like self-esteem, goal setting, HIV/AIDS (this was a requirement for the grant), communication, etc. After lessons the girls could choose to dance, play soccer, or make beads and necklaces and they all tie-dyed t-shirts. Each night after dinner we had more group activities. Tuesday there was a carnival with games, on Wednesday we had a "bonfire" (it was moved indoors because of rain) and an "I can't" funeral. In America, of course a bonfire is a camp tradition, but in Rwanda having a fire something that is done at funerals. To combine both traditions we had the girls write a statement on a piece of paper of something they have been told they cannot do or believe they can't do and then burn it in the fire. It was a great activity which we topped off with s'mores! On the last night we had a talent show which inevitable turned into a dance party.
GLOW was probably the best experience for me here as a PCV for so many reasons. The best part, of course, was the girls; to see them open up, let loose and just have fun. Starting at such a young age they have had so many responsibilities, babysitting, cooking, cleaning, fetching water, gathering firewood, and the list goes on. But for 5 days they weren't asked to do anything, they were able to have fun, make new friends and reflect and learn about themselves in a positive and encouraging environment. I think my favorite part was the carnival on Tuesday, it was clearly an experience none of them had ever had before and they were so happy running around to each game with huge smiles on their faces, it was so much fun to watch them.
What also made GLOW such a success, were the all-star PCV's I worked with planning the camp. Our camp honestly went off without a hitch, which would be an accomplishment for any camp but especially a camp in Africa and this is because of the hard work everyone put into it. We joked all week long that we were just holding our breath, waiting for things to fall apart, but they never did, not even close. We were lucky from the beginning with awesome leadership that delegated well and pulled everything together while everyone else pulled their own weight. When I joined the Peace Corps I knew that I would learn so much from all the people in my village, but I didn't expect to learn so much from my fellow PCV's. I'm so lucky to be here with such a motivated, generous, and truly exceptional group of people.
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| Just a few the awesome volunteers that helped make GLOW happen |
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| A lesson about HIV Prevention |
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| Tie-Dying |
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| A morning energizer |
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| Dinner! |
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| Some girls performing a dance at the talent show |
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| An impromptu performance of Jingle Bells by the leaders |
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| Face paint from the carnival |
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| The dance party |
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| The 3 girls from my school that attended camp, Lovange, me, Sabine, and Rachel |
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So now that GLOW is finished all I have on my mind is PARIS! I am so excited! A lot of the other volunteers that were at GLOW are going to America for the break so we spent a lot of time talking about what we'll do on our vacations but mostly about what we will eat! There are so many things I am looking forward to on this trip but I cannot wait to be surrounded by Christmas! In Rwanda, Christmas is strictly a religous holiday and there really isn't any build up to it. There aren't any decorations, songs, parties or anything at all. I know in America it can sometimes be a little over the top, especially when Christmas seems to start way back in October these days, but having not had any of it for 2 years, I miss it! All the lights, decorations, shopping, food, music, movies, and traditions, it's magical. And in my opinion, Paris is magical anytime of the year, but at Christmas, after living in Africa for a year...there are no words!
I wish everyone a happy holiday season! I hope that in the midst of all the running around you can take time to really appreciate the spirit of Christmas and how lucky we are to have such a beautiful holiday filled with wonderful tradition to share with all those we love. Merry Christmas!
All my love,
Annie
