Camp 2

Our first camp was a success!! We wrapped up our session with some fantastic presentations on HIV/AIDS and deforestation. The kids were really creative and the teachers were quite impressed with their new knowledge. To show our appreciation for the school’s participation in our program, we donated 8 trees to the school grounds, a personal tree for every student and teacher, and a brand new soccer ball for the school. Even though we had heard great things about the warm culture in Malawi, all of the volunteers did not exactly know what to expect when coming into the village. However, we definitely came across the “warm heart of Africa,” and were amazed by the wonderful greetings from each of the students and teachers. It didn’t take long to make a connection with these willing students, and our apprehensions subsided quickly. Overall, it was great start to World Camp.

After a wonderful wrap to our first camp, we started in a brand new school today. We thought we saw excitement when we arrived at the first camp, but nothing could compare to the overwhelming enthusiasm we received today. Our Land Rovers were chased down by eager children and we were flooded with more smiles and high fives. The teaching sessions ran smoothly and we are eager to return to the school for more songs, games and learning. Until next time....

-Sara W.

World Camp High School Session in Malawi!

Welcome to the official team blog for the 2009 World Camp High School volunteer group working in Malawi this July. The group will be posting updates about their activities and experiences periodically, so be sure to check back often. We are very excited about our group this year, and would like to start by introducing the program coordinators who will be leading this year's team.

First, we have Pete Goff who will be traveling with the group from New York to Malawi and back, and will be leading the group while in Malawi. Pete began his involvement with WC as a volunteer instructor in January 2004. This trip inspired Pete to learn more about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa by volunteering with organizations addressing this problem from a variety of angles. After graduating from Middlebury College in May 2005 with a B.A. in Biochemistry, he spent several months volunteering, teaching, and studying with various HIV/AIDS related groups in East and Southern Africa. Subsequently, Pete joined Dr. Frederick Alt's lab at the Immune Disease Institute and Harvard Medical School to research development and diversification of the immune system in B- and T- lineage cells. This past year, he worked for Dr. Nathaniel Landau's lab in the New York University School of Medicine's Microbial Pathogenesis Program, where he investigates the molecular mechanisms responsible for HIV nuclear import. While pursuing his research interests, Pete continued his education and is graduating with a Masters of Liberal Arts focused in Biology from Harvard University. Pete joined World Camp's Board of Directors in May 2008 and serves as the Chair of the Development Committee. He has enjoyed working with high school students in the past as a swim team coach for several summers, and is looking forward to coordinating an AMAZING program in Malawi this summer! After returning from Malawi, Pete will enter the Mount Sinai School of Medicine as a first year student in August.

Also leading this year's group, and already working with World Camp in Malawi this May is Ashley Sawyer. Ashley graduated from California State University, Chico in 2001 with a BA in Social Science and a curiosity for international education and study abroad. The next eight years took her traveling through 16 countries, working and teaching in England, Spain and Malawi. Ashley’s passion for working with youth and social justice through education is what first brought her to World Camp. She currently works for our organization as a Program Coordinator in Malawi and on curriculum development in our Asheville office. She is pursuing her masters in International Education with SIT Graduate Institute. Ashley also takes her lifelong enthusiasm and love of soccer around the world, breaking down cultural and language barriers by engaging kids in matches wherever she goes.

A taste of what's to come.

Here are some pictures taken from last year's group, the inaugural High School team. They had an amazing experience, and we are excited to have a new group coming in this July.

5/28 Earthquake Update

Last night, a strong earthquake affected Honduras, Belize, and Guatemala. Our program coordinators who are already on the ground are fine, as is the group's house. We do not anticipate this event to affect our scheduled activities or arrival of volunteers today and tomorrow, but will post any updates as they occur. Please contact the office 888-297-9669 with any questions.

First Camp, Day 1

Oh what a day! First day of camp was a flying success! We arrived at Mnkhupa FPS to the buzzing excitement of over 120 eager students. After a mind boggling rendition of our favorite World Camp songs, the day got started with some great introductions and games! The classes eagerly jumped into HIV awareness and prevention and deforestation education. The kids enjoyed John’s delicious nsima and bean relish and had a great time enjoying their lunch with their teachers and translator. The day ended on a super high note with a lot of relay races, singing, and dancing. We are all looking forward to day 2 of Camp and some very empowering Empowerment Discussions!

With Love From Malawi!!!

-Sarah G

Orientation

The first summer session volunteers arrived on Wednesday and Thursday- our girl-power team is made up of Christine, Megan, Laura, Channell, Sarah G., Paige, Sarah W., Alex, and Jess, and comes from California to Cleveland to Connecticut. We were greeted by our awesome coordinators, Katy, Ashley, Scott, and Jaren, and after some brief introductions, house-tours, and quick trips to town, were ready to get started.

We’ve gone over our curriculum, from HIV and AIDS basics to how to contract HIV, to prevention, to male and female empowerment, to deforestation and its causes and potential solutions, among other topics. We’ve practiced morning songs and games, and have gone bananas, boom chicka boom-ed, and funky chicken-ed with the best of them. On Friday we also took a trip to Chisomo, a local shelter for children, where the new volunteers helped lead some songs and then watched the coordinators demonstrate a game showing the effects of deforestation, as well as do a condom demonstration with bananas. Saturday was full of more curriculum review, and also included some exciting skits, in which two teams of volunteers competed to show off their acting prowess and which resulted in an epic showdown of a Broadway-worthy musical vs. Spanish channel-style soap opera. Stay tuned for results.

We’ve met some lively and friendly faces in Lilongwe, where we’ve promised multiple vendors that we’ll never, ever forget them (or their shops), we’ve sampled nsima and the other delicious offerings of John’s cooking, and some of us have embarked on a pretty ambitious puzzle. From Paige’s lifelong dream to have a dog named Maggie, Alex’s impressive Chichewa skills, Ashley and Sarah G’s inexplicable (yet, somehow, shared) obsessions with Dolly Parton, and Laura and Megan’s (again, strangely shared) elephant figurine collections, we’ve already started to get to know each other, and are looking forward to more to come in the next few weeks.

Until then,

Jess Hallett

Casa Blanca

The program coordinators got here Monday and have been busily preparing a place for the volunteers to call home for the summer. We have been visiting schools and the prison to set up classes, setting up things like internet and hiring a guard, and getting familiar with the town. We still have a lot to do before you get here, but we are well on our way to being ready for your arrival next week!

Here are some pictures of your new home.

Program Coordinators

Meredith Church

Meredith Church is an adjunct instructor of Spanish at Appalachian State University with a Master’s in Latin American Studies. She has been working with World Camp Honduras since January of 2008. She’s lived in Mexico and Spain and spent time in Uruguay, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica and, of course, Honduras. She loves travel, reading good books, being active outdoors, doing yoga and dancing. She’s looking forward to working with you to make an impact in the lives of the youth you’ll meet!

Tara Ilsley

Tara Ilsley is a recent grad of North Carolina State University where she studied International Politics and Spanish. She enjoys learning about Latin culture, and recently studied in Cordoba, Argentina. She enjoys riding her ten speed bike, exploring new lands, and eating avocados.

Katie Smith

Katie Smith is a proud graduate of Appalachian State University, with a degree in Sociology. She has overseas experience in education from teaching English as Second Language in Bangkok, Thailand. She is finishing up her second degree and Masters in English Education and will begin teaching 7-10 grade English/Language Arts at Carolina International School, in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the fall. She enjoys riding her bike, traveling and seeing different cultures, the great outdoors, reading, writing, and theological debates over coffee. She dislikes traffic, cliques and urban sprawl. She looks forward to meeting all of you and working together to find richness in this unique experience!

All Volunteers Arrive Safe

We picked up the last of the volunteers from the Kamuzu International Airport this afternoon and they are all at the World Camp House safe and sound. Once everyone was showered and settled we started night one of orientation. We've got a great group and although everyone is tired from traveling we're all ready to work with some kids tomorrow at the Chisomo Children's Club in Old Town Lilongwe. Chisomo is a day shelter for at-risk orphans living on the streets in Lilongwe. The plan is to do a little curriculum work and then play some games with the kids. Should be fun!

The rest of orientation will consist of running through the curriculum with the volunteers to familiarize them with it and answer any questions they may have. On Sunday we’re planning a barbeque with the translators for the session so everyone can get to know one another. It will be a busy three days, but we’ll be ready for our first camp at Manondo Full Primary School on Monday.

In other news, the Malawi presidential results are in and Bingu Wa Mutharika has won another five years. From reading the papers and talking with people in town it seems like a landmark election for Malawi. Although Bingu is from the central region he won a majority in both the north and south, which many Malawians see as a triumph of national unity over regional politics.

Check back tomorrow for updates!

Swine Flu Update

There have been 0 cases reported of swine flu in Honduras, good news. Here is a link to follow.
http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/

Swine Flu Free Malawi

Currently there have been no reported cases of swine flu in Malawi. We're contacting all the area hospitals in Lilongwe to make sure they are prepared to deal with any cases if they do arise. We've also been in contact with the US embassy in Lilongwe, and they have assured us that there are emergency protocols in place in case there is an outbreak. If you have any questions or concerns please contact our office at info@worldcampforkids.org or scott@worldcampforkids.org. Thanks!

Check out this link to track cases worldwide:

http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/