World Camp Clubs

New Programming: World Camp Clubs

In early November we introduced World Camp’s new geographic focus, the Malikha Zone. We’re working hard to initiate sustainable programs and interventions for locally challenging issues.

Students and youth are a key part of any and all solutions taking place as they are future leaders, members of their community, and a massive force for change! They have a vested interest in the wellbeing of their communities and neighbors, and should be involved in community development projects.

To this end, World Camp will establish a World Camp Clubs (WCC) at each of the 11 primary schools in Malikha Zone (and we’ve already done so at the five schools we visited in 2012!). These clubs foster and encourage youth activism and involvement in community projects that address issues such as deforestation, stigma surrounding HIV positive patients, youth rights, and community infrastructure.

Liwera World Camp Club members

Each WCC is led by two teachers and at least five students elected by their peers. The addition of elected student leaders fosters youth ownership, responsibility, ability, and power; something that can be lacking in many of the communities we visit. In September, Teacher Mentors went through training to equip them with the basic knowledge of encouraging student activism, budgeting, reporting to WC, planning effective outreach activities, and many other skills! WC will continue to work with Teacher Mentors every month to provide support, answer questions, facilitate idea sharing, and encourage Zone-wide events. Additionally, WC will visit each Club at least once a month during one of their meetings to check-in on logistics, observe discussions, and provide on-site support.

In the few short months since their inception, WCCs have been a huge success: Mkhoma WCC planted 40 trees in their community to combat deforestation and Liwera WCC participated in a quiz to show off their knowledge of HIV (see the video here!). All five Clubs have developed detailed action plans for the 2012-2013 school year to ensure continued progress, and we can’t wait to see where the students of Malikha Zone take this project!

Current Events in Malawi

Last week, the Malawi Humans Rights Commission (MHRC) urged for human rights issues be included in HIV/AIDS programs in Malawi. At a meeting held by the MHRC in conjunction with District Commissioners in the Northern Region, concern was raised over the human rights violations that occur in response to the stigma of HIV/AIDS. This bias against people who are HIV positive leads to further discrimination within society and the workplace as well. The MHRC are urging district commissioners to gain and acquire tools to combat the degrading stigma that exists. This stigma in the workplace and public sector has caused many people to go untreated. The MHRC believes sensitization to this issue and the needs of the HIV positive community in Malawi is vital in ensuring human rights are applied to all people, regardless or HIV status. Similar meetings in Central and Southern Regions of Malawi are anticipated in the near future.

http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/10/21/integrate-human-rights-in-hiv-activities-urges-malawi-human-righsts-commission/

A New Geographical Focus

A New Geographical Focus

Picture Ideas: map of schools in Malikha zone plus others

Hand-drawn map of the Malikha Zone

History: World Camp has been in Malawi for eleven years now and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made. We’ve worked with over 20,400 students  in over 190 schools. We’ve conducted workshops with hundresds community members and met with countless organizations to learn even more about Malawi and the work being done by others.

What we’re doing: We have added year-round staff to our Malawi office so we can implement a geographic approach in order to increase both our programming and presence in partner schools. For the next few years, World Camp will concentrate solely on one primary education zone that comprises 11 primary schools and their communities in order to create a stronger and more sustained impact.

Why we’re doing it: A geographic focus will allow us to delve deeper into locally challenging issues; we can identify needs and address them individually and specifically. With year-round programming, we can provide more sustained support to students, teachers, community members, and grassroots organizations. We’ll be able to improve our monitoring, tracking, and evaluation processes to more thoroughly assess our impact. 

World Camp Club Mentor, Cyrus Jenda
speaks with stakeholders at the Teacher
Development Center

Where we’ll be: The zone WC selected is called Malikha Zone. It is under the direction of a single Primary Education Advisor, Ms. Elizabeth Kasomekera. It’s located about 45 minutes outside the city, on the way to Salima (Lake Malawi). WC has already visited five of the eleven schools in the zone and is excited to continue meeting new students and teachers as we conduct educational camps and community workshops in the coming years.

What we’ll do: We’ll continue to host volunteers and hold educational camps focused on HIV, the environment, gender equality, and literacy. We’ll establish and support a World Camp Club at each school to foster youth activism and involvement. We’ll support teachers who go through our Teacher Workshop to ensure students continue to receive correct information and interactive lessons.

Who we’ll work with: We’ll continue to work hand in hand with the Primary Education Advisor, as she is directing and giving the final approval on a lot of our programs in Malikha Zone. We’ll meet regularly with schools to check on their progress, provide additional support, and answer any questions that arise as they implement new programs. We’ll meet monthly with World Camp Clubs to encourage youth activism and participation in community development initiatives. Students will remain our focus - they are, after all, the future of their communities!

Benefits for World Camp volunteers and interns: World Camp will give first time World Camp volunteers more information about the schools they will teach in based on experience, data collected, and current community projects. This can only benefit their teaching effectiveness and understanding of the situation of their students. World Camp Alum will hear more about the results of their efforts (and their past students!) as World Camp staff revisit communities, track the successes of clubs, test knowledge, and facilitate continuous learning and community growth.

We at World Camp are excited about this change, and would love to hear your feedback and ideas!