World Camp is the programme I participated in this summer. But you have to ask, “Emily, what exactly is World Camp?”
I’m glad you asked!
The History
Their website says this:
World Camp, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to empowering children in impoverished communities around the world through education. Since 2000, World Camp has worked in rural schools and street shelters in several countries teaching children about challenging issues that affect their future and communities. World Camp carries out its mission through a strong volunteer base of individuals committed to helping others as well as experiencing different cultures and countries. World Camp currently offers volunteer programs in Malawi of Africa, Tela of Honduras and Ahmedabad of India. World Camp teaches HIV/AIDS prevention, nutrition, gender equality, environmental awareness and human rights. For more information about World Camp volunteer programs, please select a program below.
But World Camp is so much more than it passes itself off as. An unassuming programme, it was started by college students in 2000 after they traveled through Africa and saw the effect of HIV/AIDS. They researched methods of teaching and created a curriculum that would educate kids on how to keep themselves from contracting the disease.
It’s no surprise that I see myself so very clearly in this programme. Over seven years, they have worked with over 30,000 students in 150 rural schools and street shelters.
The Volunteer Experience
Volunteers are housed in a group housing facility in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi. Volunteers work six days a week for five weeks. Each day they generally ride an hour to an hour and a half to and from rural schools and communities.
Each community usually hosts the World Camp volunteers for a three-day ‘camp’ for the kids. They start out with songs and games to get to know each other. Then, come the classes:
Teachers and students retreat to individual classrooms to begin the World Camp HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention curriculum. Curriculum activities include games to introduce the basics of HIV/AIDS education, interactive demonstrations to illustrate how the disease develops in the human body, and question and answer periods for students to speak freely about their concerns. World Camp works with translators from a Malawian university to ensure teachers and students get the most out of each meeting.
At the end of the camp, the kids perform for the village elders and parents, to show what they have learned. The goal, ultimately, is to help the students share their knowledge with each other, with their families, and beyond. The only way to defeat the pandemic is with knowledge and medicine.
The Mission:
Volunteers focus on HIV/AIDS education, environmental awareness, and gender equality, as well as lead students and teachers in team building songs and games in a summer camp atmosphere. The program is well-rounded to include additional community outreach, including teacher workshops, projects in refugee camps, and work with homeless children living on the streets of Lilongwe.
Could I ask for anything better? Some people work day in and day out, but never experience such a depth of meaning in their work. To actively shape a future–to help a child grasp the concepts needed to keep themselves safe and healthy, was an experience that I am utterly grateful for.
For more information, you can visit World Camp’s website directly: World Camp
