Thank you to anyone who contributed to this year's youth leadership camp. It may be the best place your money has ever gone. It was a great success with double the campers and programs as last year, as well as a three-day senegalese counselor training.This year's schedule included: tree nurseries, tree grafting, neem lotion, business classes, food security, plays, goal-defining, arts and crafts, awesome field games--
hiking up to the waterfall source (the group pictured below MAY have completed the hike in record time, led by the lady in blue...)
soccer,
olympic games (we lost the spoons for the egg-spoon race and joked they had to carry them on their heads. We should have known this isn't a joke in Senegal. Three people could!)
some of the best kids in Senegal,
popcorn in a cauldron for movie night-- Indiana Jones in French (I was on popcorn duty and now I know I will think of these cauldrons and buckets whenever I make microwave popcorn for the rest of my life... and I love that)
monkeeeeyyyyy,
sex ed classes (behold my shining role as a condom demonstrator),
gender and equality classes,
and career day, which was the winner. To adress the distressing lack of imagination encountered upon the "what do you want to be?" question, we introduced the concepts of about 50 professions. Everyone had a card stuck on his/her head with a career like "archeologist" and "tabboo" words beneath that you couldn't say when giving the person hints as to what their card says (ex. "digging"). Real professionals participated as well and gave a panel discussion afterwards. This provided the best most inspiring if-I-did-it-so-can-you, you-are-the-future-of-Senegal speeches. I literally just gave myself goosebumps writing that. That's how awesome it was!
hiking up to the waterfall source (the group pictured below MAY have completed the hike in record time, led by the lady in blue...)
soccer,
olympic games (we lost the spoons for the egg-spoon race and joked they had to carry them on their heads. We should have known this isn't a joke in Senegal. Three people could!)
some of the best kids in Senegal,
popcorn in a cauldron for movie night-- Indiana Jones in French (I was on popcorn duty and now I know I will think of these cauldrons and buckets whenever I make microwave popcorn for the rest of my life... and I love that)
monkeeeeyyyyy,
sex ed classes (behold my shining role as a condom demonstrator),
gender and equality classes,
and career day, which was the winner. To adress the distressing lack of imagination encountered upon the "what do you want to be?" question, we introduced the concepts of about 50 professions. Everyone had a card stuck on his/her head with a career like "archeologist" and "tabboo" words beneath that you couldn't say when giving the person hints as to what their card says (ex. "digging"). Real professionals participated as well and gave a panel discussion afterwards. This provided the best most inspiring if-I-did-it-so-can-you, you-are-the-future-of-Senegal speeches. I literally just gave myself goosebumps writing that. That's how awesome it was!
Now, none of these amazing kids can go back to their villages and settle. That won't be good enough, now they know that "zoologists" exist. Look out world, here comes the youth of Kedougou!
See Peace Corps Kedougou's website for more photos, videos, and detailed accounts: ___________________________________________________________________
3 comments:
Anette only pledged once Kay for 25. It didn't take so she repeated. Will hustle for more. Crugsdaddy
K I see that Annette is no longer on the ledger sheet. She still wants to pledge her $25.00. I will see who else I can convince to pledge. Happy Halloween Crugsmama
Crugsrentals-- I honestly love you guys right now. Thank you SO MUCH for all your work for this!
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