I hope that you are all having a wonderful summer thus far! It has flown by so quickly and I cannot believe we are already in the midst of August! I have two posts I need to write to catch you all up on the wonderful things that I have been doing this summer! The first regards the three amazing camps which I staffed this July. It was a jam packed month in which I traveled around the north east of Ukraine teaching three very different topics to Ukrainian youth. Though it was exhausting (lost my voice twice and was sick for about a week!) it was still incredibly worth it! The youth of Ukraine are so inspiring. Their efforts to learn skills which can change this country for the better are incredible! I enjoyed the camps and would like to tell you just a little bit about each one as well as share some pictures!
The first camp I staffed was Camp Heal which took place the week of July 1st – 8th in the Sumi Oblast. This camp invites talented Ukrainian youth aged 16-22 to discuss such difficult topics as HIV/AIDS, Human Trafficking, Project Development and Management as well as lighter topics such as leadership, volunteerism and team building. Over 20 American Peace Corps Volunteers staffed the week long camp which taught over 70 campers.
Ukraine sadly is the highest HIV infected country in Europe. The percent remains a bit over 1.3% but statistics show that once a country has surpassed 2% infection there is no controlling the exponential spread of the disease. Due to this scary statistic Ukraine, as well as Peace Corps, has taken on progressive measures to educate and prevent the spread of HIV. Through these efforts, camps such as Heal (Human Trafficking Education, Aids/HIV, Leadership) exist.
The week was filled with themed days in which many topics were discussed. We began with HIV/AIDS discussing the biology of the virus, transmission and prevention as well as stereotypes which exist in Ukraine and throughout the world against those living with HIV/AIDS. On our second day we talked about human trafficking. Ukraine is one of the highest targeted countries for human trafficking, sending individuals all around the world to become sex workers, construction workers or to be sold on the black organ market. It is a sad truth but due to the poverty in Ukraine and lack of jobs, many fall easy victim to promises of a better lifestyle abroad. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has recently developed a hotline from which individuals can call and ask if organizations they wish to work for are legitimate or illegal. Campers were taught to protect themselves when accepting jobs and to inform their friends and families about such hotlines and help services which hope to decrease the number of victims of the human trafficking trade.
Other days of camp offered classes on less demanding topics. Project Planning and Development, a goal of Peace Corps, was taught as well as fundraising for projects, leadership development and volunteerism. Volunteerism is not a “popular” past time in Ukraine yet but is certainly growing. The campers were very excited about their return back home to begin spreading the word of HIV/AIDS and Human Trafficking education through the development of projects and presentations within their schools and communities.
Camp HEAL combined lessons with team competitions and other more traditional camp activities. I helped to lead the dark blue team - “Team Sponge Bob Blue Pants.” The team consisted of a great group of very fun campers who created hilarious skits and worked hard at each of our challenges.
On the Fourth of July we taught the campers the words to the Star Spangled Banner and shot off fireworks. On our last night we made smores using Ukrainian ingredients. These were a hit with the campers who came back for seconds and thirds!
The camp was quite a success. The campers left packed with the knowledge to protect themselves against HIV infection, to keep themselves safe against Human Trafficking and to lead their fellow schoolmates to be responsible and innovative individuals. I was inspired by the level of understanding of each subject which these campers showed! I am very eager to hear about the projects they development and implement in the upcoming fall semester! Check out pictures below of the camp!
Following Camp HEAL I traveled to the Lugansk Oblast farther east where I worked Camp IKNOW. IKNOW doesn't actually stand for anything but this is the Environmental Working Group's camp offered in both the east and the west each summer. IKNOW discusses environmentally themed topics such as “leave no trace,” composting, water shortage and conservation as well as project planning and development. The camp takes place at a camp site where we tent, swim in the river and have lessons in an outdoors shelter. A bit less of the luxury of HEAL which had air conditioning and a pool!
I was very lucky to be able to bring with me two students and a chaperon to Camp IKNOW. Oleg and Jenya are incoming 11th grade students and are my best students in English. They are very energetic and creative and they were excellent campers! Vitalik is a friend of mine who has taught himself English and continues to help his friends teach themselves English. He traveled with my boys to camp and acted as the Ukrainian counterpart at camp.
Throughout the week we had classes in the morning in which the students discussed different environmental topics (all in English) and the afternoon offered time for swimming in the river, playing volleyball and other games and in the evening having team time. I helped co-lead the orange team “Team Ten Carrots.” Vitalik co led the Pink team. Jenya was also on the pink team known as the “Spicy Hamsters.” And Oleg was on the green team - “ Team Green Bananas.” The teams competed in challenges in the evenings which presented environmental themes we had learned throughout the day.
During the camp time, campers had to develop projects which they would implement once they returned back to their home communities. Oleg and Jenya worked hard on an idea to offer movies in Velyka Lepetykha's center park which would fundraise money to purchase items which would be used in a town clean up. With the use of fellow students and the support of the school director and community “Youth and Sport” director, Oleg and Jenya plan to organize clean ups of some of the main town areas such as the river, park and town center. I was so impressed by their enthusiasm and excitement for the project and I look forward to my return to Velyka Lepetykha so that we may implement this project!
Camp IKNOW gave these students a great chance to practice their English, meet new friends and to hear the ideas of youth from all parts of Ukraine. Oleg and Jenya were great leaders on their teams and were extremely energetic and competitive during all of the competitions. I was so impressed by their efforts and I'm looking forward to one final semester of English with them!
My last camp was ABC Camp – a camp which I staffed last summer. ABC is located in Kharkiv and runs for two weeks offering classes on sharing culture, art and theater, as well as project development and management to students of the Kharkiv region ages 14-18. The students who come to ABC camp are overly enthusiastic, remarkably skilled at English and so resourceful. The camp is staffed by both Ukrainians and Americans allowing both cultures to come together to inspire the future leaders of Ukraine. The two weeks are filled with team competitions and challenges on top of classes and evening social events. Dress up days filled the schedule with such fun ones as Science Fiction, team color, Hollywood, Mafia and Hippie days. I co lead the Red Team - “Team Flying Tomatoes!” Though we did not come in first this year, we worked really hard and won a number of the dress up day challenges and the song presentations. My team was great and the students worked really hard at all aspects of camp!
This year a new part was added to ABC called PBC – Projects Bring Change. A group of returning campers were selected to complete an intensive project planning class which at the end of the first week presented a completed grant application to a small committee of staff members and then completed a full scale project during camp time. The effort that these students put into the class and the projects was incredible. Peace Corps hopes to inspire small scale projects within the communities where volunteers work and PBC was exactly the skill providing program which hoped to instil this drive to volunteer and project develop within the youth of Ukraine! The project the students decided to implement was a makeover of the American Center in Kharkiv. The PBC campers organized the rest of the camp in the project's implementation – not a small challenge! The project was a success and a reopening ceremony for the center took place during the camp to show all the efforts the campers had placed in the project.
Just like last year – ABC was one of my favorite experiences of my Peace Corps experience. The campers are just so dedicated to the camp and so eager to learn all that they can take in in two weeks. I taught about Brazil during sharing cultures and threw at the campers all I could find from Rio de Janeiro Carnival to the problem with the favelas (slum towns) in Brazil. The two weeks ended in a debate which allowed the students to debate for their country to receive a donation of money for projects – the countries were South Africa, Cambodia and Iran aside from Brazil. The students used their arsenals of knowledge and one debate ended in allotting the money to South Africa while the second debate split the money amongst the countries.
It was hard to say goodbye to the campers this year at ABC as I was not able to fall back on “see you next summer.” The students' efforts will continue to show in coming years as they work on projects in their own communities. I am so glad I was able to participate again this year in such an amazing camp!
July was a crazy mess of camps! As I said I lost my voice twice, got sick for a week while at IKNOW and was completely sleep deprived but it was an incredible experience! Ukraine youth have so much to offer their country and through these camps we have been able to provide them the skills to create this change. Through leadership, volunteerism and project planning classes, I hope that these youth feel prepared to organize their fellow peers to enact change in their communities!
Following the month of camps I headed to Kiev for my flight to Croatia – a very much needed relaxation break! I will be sure to write you about how these two weeks in Croatia have gone! But I will say for now – it is an incredible country and a very beautiful one! I'll share pictures soon! For now – enjoy the ones from camp!
Have a great rest of summer,
Megan
Pictures below are from Camp HEAL, IKNOW and ABC Camp
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