Camp Season

I haven’t been home in awhile – that is Lama-Tessi home.  The past three weeks I spent in Pagala, a small town about 2 hours south where Peace Corps has a center equipped with cabins, a dining hall, and lots of meeting spaces.  AKA my home for the summer as it is officially Camp season in Togo! Thankfully, it’s also officially RAINY SEASON and I’m living comfortably these days!  While Pagala has a gross dampness too it (nothing dries- ever) it is nice and cool and there was no trouble sleeping at night. Not like I would have had trouble anyway, I was so exhausted I fought to make it through dinner each night. Not used to days starting at 6 (or before on days I went running) and lasting til 9 or 10 – and full days, entertaining and managing energetic little Togolese rugrats. 

I’d been dealing with this weird stomach thing for a few months and it came to a head the first weekend at Camp.  I’ll spare you the details but let’s just say I’m thankful I had friends there to bucket flush my mess in the toilet when I was too weak, walk stool samples to the hospital and retrieve medicine for me. I didn’t move for a day and I felt the effects for a few days.  Unfortunately that meant I missed the majority of the first week of camp.  Fortunately, we had a good team of PCV’s in place and everything ran smoothly.  Two days of rest and the next round of campers arrived, this time energetic boys wanting to play and play and play. Amazed that they would be up kicking the soccer ball around even before breakfast as I returned from my runs. A couple of them stole my heart and I’ve promised to visit in the fall.

Two more days of rest and then the third week was the training of trainers for another camp PC runs, Camp UNITE for which I will be a counselor for the boys’ students week next week.  While I enjoyed being productive and useful as an organizer for Camp Espoir (first 2 weeks), I appreciated sitting back and not having to stress about to-do lists and putting out fires in the third week. I returned home Saturday, with a bag of damp dirty laundry, exhausted and just wanting to sleep.  I was welcomed by Aposto and lots of kids waving hello as I walked to the market. It felt good to be home.

I’ll leave you with some observations and camp details:

Each morning, campers (aged 10-17) participated in educational sessions led by PCV’s and NGO staff where they learned about their rights, sexual health, the transmission of HIV/AIDS, the importance of balanced nutrition, how to be a good role model and more.  The afternoons were set aside for fun: the Olympics – Camp Espoir style and a pretend market where each cabin got to make and sell small items (think candy, juice, and popcorn) to their peers as a way to practice income generating activity lessons. 

Nightly entertainment kicked off with an “opening ceremony” in which each cabin represented a different country, marching in with their flag and added their flame to the bon fire.  Maybe more special to PCV’s than to campers was the highlight of a marshmallow roast as the finale of the ceremony.  Later in the week, campers young and old came together to put on skits and show off their dancing skills at the nightly talent shows and dance party. 

Meal time was remarked as being the best part of camp by many participants as kids were given the rare chance to eat full, well-balanced meals to their content. This was especially interesting for me to watch, realizing some of these kids have never had a lot of these foods like salad, pineapple and especially not meat at every meal. 

Camp also offered the rare opportunity for catharsis.  Many painful stories of losing parents, learning of their HIV status, being orphaned and treated like outcasts flowed forth during the candle light ceremony held one night.  Tears flowed and campers were given a chance to tell their story in a safe and comforting environment, surrounded by new friends with similar stories. One girl in particular told of her situation living with her aunt who makes fun of her for being HIV positive and basically treats her like a dog; eating whatever is left over after the rest of the family has eaten. 

This candle light ceremony was interesting as it was quite painful especially because Togolese normally don’t talk about their problems, feelings or emotions.  While some NGO partners don’t like this activity as it makes the kids safe, we as PCV’s push for it and sometimes I think it helps us more to understand the grimness of their situations.  One would never know they’ve lost their parents or don’t get enough to eat by visiting camp; kids run around with copious amounts of energy, playing, eating, teasing, getting into a little trouble, and fully exhausting their staff.  It appears that life is good, normal but in the reality, this may be their only chance all year to enjoy a week of carefree fun.  That’s why we keep plugging on.

Home in time for the start of Ramadan and a neighborhood full of fasting Muslims. While I’ve noticed the town seems quieter, I’ve also noticed my host mother is a bit more cranky – you would  be too if you couldn’t have water, I tell myself!  I noticed a change in me, however.  Last year when it was Ramadan, I had only been at post for a few weeks and didn’t really think about it too much, eating and drinking and not really minding to think of the hungry/thirsty people around me.  However, this time around, I’ve noticed myself hiding my water bottle when I know I’m in the company of someone fasting.  I eat my meals in my house so as not to ‘rub it in’ my families face by eating out on my porch.  Interesting to see how perspectives, attitudes and behaviors change.