Summer Camp for Girls

I never had the opportunity to go to summer camp when I was a kid, but they seem to be life-altering events for some people, at least it seemed for the teens starring in John Hughes-type movies in the 80s.  Recently, we had the opportunity to invite adolescent girls from all over the Piura and Tumbes regions to experience life-changing events at an overnight camp for girls.

It is fairly uncommon for an adolescent girl to venture outside the boundaries of my little pueblo, and it's a very rare occurrance for a girl to stay away from her family's home overnight.  So, it was especially exciting for 50 girls to be whisked away from their pueblos to attend a leadership camp for 3 nights.

The girls were timid at first, feeling apprehensive about how to act in this unfamilar environment surrounded by 49 unfamliar faces.  But it didn't take long before they were laughing and making friends like girls do.  I brought two girls from my town, one sophmore and one junior from the local high school, who live less than one hour from the Pacific Ocean but don't know how to swim.  On the first day, they eyed the swimming pool suspiciously, but by the second day, I was heartened to see them jump in with no fear.

During the 3 days of camp, the girls learned essential life skills, such as:

• Leadership and Teamwork
• Choosing a Career and Planning for College
• Reproductive and Sexual Health
• Finance and Budgeting

After the camp was over, the girls were expected to replicate one of the sessions from the camp in their community.  The girls from my town have decided to organize a career panel for students in the high school.  This will be a big deal for the students; not only for the girls who are organizing the event to gain essential project management skills, but also for the students to hear from real-life professionals who successfully launched their careers. 

Keep in mind that most people who live in my town grow food on their farms to survive, and they may also have a small, informal side business (like selling moonshine or driving a mototaxi), but often the only money a family receives is from a government assistance program that gives mothers with small children 100 soles per month -- the equivalent of about $40.  For these kids, who might have distant relatives who are professionals but probably rarely meet someone with a "real" job, this is an exciting opportunity to be face-to-face with someone who has successfully made it out of their pueblo and negotiated their way through higher education and into a legitimate career.

I am totally psyched that these kids want to take on this project! 

Here is a photo of the two girls who attended the camp (in the purple and turquoise shirts):