The summer is almost upon us and classes will be done in the next short week! With this I have begun to work on my summer projects, one of which is ABCamp. I took a moment a few posts ago to begin to tell you about this exciting camp that I have the honor of working in July/August, but I would like to take a moment to share with you some more information about this camp. The goal of which is to show you how important this camp will be for the youth of Ukraine and to once more request your financial support. One of my fellow staff members and Peace Corps Volunteers has written an excellent letter describing how invaluable this camp will be for the youth attending and what exactly it hopes to accomplish. Please take a moment to read her letter and then continue on to the link below to donate to ABCamp. Every little bit helps and I greatly appreciate your support.
Sincerely, Megan
Samantha, PCV and ABCamp Staff Member:
"Lately, I've been hearing people say, Ukraine will happen. They mean that the government will straighten up. (The latest elections have proven to be a good start; the egg throwing in parliament a step backwards.) They mean that the economy will turn around. That fewer people will struggle to get fed. But if Ukraine is going to happen, a new generation of thinking is required. This thinking is being cultivated at ABCamp.
Now in it's second year, ABCamp has grown out of a group of weekend leadership camps started a half dozen years ago by two Peace Corps Volunteers who recognized the need for such education. Started two years ago by a pair of young Ukrainian women, this two-week long camp keeps a concentrated focus on civic leadership and project planning.
Very quickly after meeting with camp direct and co-founder, Anya Bespalaya, I saw the potential for big change. Part inexhaustible energy and part steadfast commitment, Anya is an inspiration. Her positivity about Ukraine's future is infections and the belief is spreading. After only one short weekend training, I saw Ukraine's future in an entirely different light. An alumna of these leadership weekends and camps, Anya put her project planning skills to good use and paired with co-founder and best friend Alia to start ABC.
At ABCamp, teams of students are taught an array of different classes: from project planning to music, sharing cultures to debate. During their two weeks at came, they are set with the task of organizing projects around Kharkov, the camp's headquarters. Their efforts are visible. They clean the city's parks, connect with its citizens, all while working together to overcome the challenges of planning a project. The support network that has been created out of these camps is something to marvel at. After camp, students who express a serious interest in planning a project in their home communities and outfitted with a teacher-mentor to help them through the process. In short, this is a camp that is producing real, sustainable results.
And what of the camp staff? Students vie for a spot on the staff once they're old enough. Did I mention that it's all taught in English? Ukrainian counselors, Peace Corps volunteers and student campers all promise to abide by the 'No Russian or Ukrainian' rule. Seeing the counselors together is an unexplainable pleasure. At staff training, they jump between conversations in English and Russian and Ukrainian with uncharacteristic ease. The desire and dedication of each has already revealed itself ten-fold in the few short weeks that we've known each other.
Now, it's simply funding that we need. Which should, after all, be the easiest part.
I agree with the things I hear, Ukraine will happen. But creating allies requires advocates. And this means investing in the future that we want. I'm working for ABCamp because I can see the changes it’s creating here in Ukraine. It is an open, safe space. It is the platform for change that so many of us volunteers are searching for (desperately, sometimes) during our service. It comes back to the thing about the fisherman and the fish. There are a lot here who are hungry but few who are willing to take up the work of learning what it takes to catch their own meal. ABCamp is a special place where everyone is grabbing for the fishing rod."
Samantha also profiled our Ukrainian director, Anya. Please check it out: http://atyourperilmisspeace.wordpress.com/.
Ukrainian and American Staff Members of ABCamp 2010
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