Camp Hope Cooks!

  Camp Hope can change a child’s life. 

  Camp Hope follow-up sessions can change a family.

  On February 21, 2015, World Camp hosted its first ever Malikha-focused follow-up session to   Camp Hope. World Camp has put on Camp Hope for a number of years, but 2014 was the first   time we were able to include youth living with HIV from our partner communities in the   Malikha Zone. 

  Camp staff and Mentors could not have been happier to provide extend the true camp   experience to youths already involved with World Camp’s after-school clubs, community   outreach, and education initiatives in Malikha. 

Last month, 8 Campers from Malikha worked with 4 Mentors and 1 Nutritionist to discover the basics of nutrition and learn how to make simple, healthy meals and snacks to boost the immune system. There could not be a more important topic for a first follow-up session than nutrition. Those with compromised immune systems, such as youth living with HIV, can see their health and productivity increase greatly with proper nutrition and caloric intake.

The specific objectives of the lesson were that by the end of the lesson, campers would be able to: 

• Define malnutrition 
• List some causes of malnutrition
• Describe the effects of malnutrition
• Discuss two types of malnutrition
• Explain ways of managing malnutrition
• Prepare a balanced and nutritious meal using locally available resources.

Lessons included theoretical aspects in addition to practical segments in which every camper actively participated. Campers, along with Mentors, cooked a delicious, and healthy meal that included egg custard, cassava chips, and guava juice. 

  Unlike a typical meal in Malikha, which consists of nsima and a vegetable relish, this meal   included food from all six food groups and was designed by a nutritionist that specializes in   working with people living with HIV. 

  After a full day of learning and cooking, Campers were sent home with a sack of food to   share with their families. They were encouraged to use their newly acquired skills to   integrate healthy sides in daily meals. 

  Thinking outside the nutrition box, participants discussed the possibility of generating home-   based income by selling the delicious cassava chips and fritters, as well as the guava juice   they’d learned to make. This initiative could not only provide awareness and nutritious food   to the greater community, but also generate income for each camper’s family. 

Up next: a follow-up session based on sexual and reproductive health on March 28th. Stay tuned for more updates from the field, and a progress report on campers’ implementation of these nutritious lessons.