Girls Leading Our World

I knew at some point before, during, or after Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) I would get this feeling I call the "warm fuzzies." The feeling that I did something good. I was right. On the way back from camp, I am in a khumbi with 21 young laughing and singing girls, listening to extremely loud Zulu music, all while surrounded by the beautiful scenery of Zululand. This is the moment I realized that I just had the highlight of my service. Camp GLOW for me was an amazing experience. Being able to bring 24 young girls aged 12-17 together for 3 days was an absolute joy. 

 

"Camp GLOW is designed to encourage young women to become active citizens in their community. The mission of Camp GLOW is to promote gender equality, develop leadership skills, improve self-esteem, increase knowledge of women’s health issues, and support aspirations and career goals. Camp GLOW promotes the belief that each young woman can make a difference in her community and offers adolescent girls self-development opportunities in a fun and friendly atmosphere".

Our three main goals for our camp were to help campers better understand gender roles, health education and skills, and to learn the importance of making and achieving goals. We also taught about: self-esteem, role models, journal writing, leadership, managing emotions, steps in making a good decision, and volunteerism.

Along with the educational aspect, we also had a fun filled camp. We had a blast on our nature hike, made memories making s'mores while chilling around a campfire, and swam like fish. We did several crafts, played board games, and ate far too many sweets. 

During our nature hike

The participation in all of the lessons, crafts, and activities was outstanding.  The campers showed a great deal of attentiveness, eagerness to learn, and maturity during sensitive topics. Camp GLOW Empangeni brought together girls from 8 different schools; thus building friendships among different communities. A handful of these girls who were not prior members to Crossroads Teen Centre have now become members. This will help give them activities to do after school and keep them off of the streets. 

 I hope these 24 campers will act as a catalyst for healthy change and female empowerment throughout the leadership and volunteerism skills they developed at Camp GLOW. I am confident that they will continue to have a positive impact on their communities beyond the boundaries of Camp GLOW.