Multi-Department Leadership Summer Camp at Laguna Chicabal

The name of the camp was Lideres de mañana - Leaders of tomorrow with the great and fitting quote: "las grandes personas de la historia también fueron niños" "the great people in history were also once children."

Two of my good friends in the Peace Corps took the initiative to put together a huge multi-department leadership summer camp. The camp took place at the beautiful Laguna Chicabal. All volunteers in the Xela/Toto area were invited and each volunteer that participated in the camp brought a Guatemalan work partner and four campers from our sites (two boys and two girls). The camp was four days and three nights. PCVs even took turns patrolling on night duty throughout the night. It was a crazy time but amazingly it all went pretty smoothly. I was exhausted at the end of it all, but I am so glad I participated in it.

Summer camp for kids here in Guatemala is not a thing. Maybe for the affluent in the capital, but out in the rural areas where we all live and work summer is a time for the kids to be at home and probably working. This camp also helped to fill a gap in the educational system. Many girls leave the sixth grade (if they are lucky enough to get to the sixth grade) without knowing what menstruation is or how that relates to their ability to bear children.

Volunteers lead activities on a wide range of topics such as: leadership, the importance of working in a team, a hike to the laguna, self-esteem, nutrition, recycled crafts, decision-making, gender equality, reproductive health, and HIV.  We also did some fun camp activities such as: an ice cream social, movie night, lots of dínamicas and ice breakers, and on the last night we had some fire dancers come in from Xela and put on a show while we roasted marshmallows.

Things that onle seem to happen in Guatemala

Importance of working in a team session

Importance of working in a team session

"Peace on Earth, Peace Corps, Guatemala 2014"

Summer camp wouldn't be complete without s'mores