Girl Power

The Peace Corps does a lot of wonderful things around the world in their global efforts to promote peace through action. Last week, I was lucky enough to participate in what I consider to be one of the most impactful projects Peace Corps sponsors:  GLOW (Girls Leading our World) camp.

GLOW was created over twenty years ago by three Peace Corps Volunteers based in Romania. Little did they know then the impact this leadership training would have in the years to come. Its importance has never been more needed than during these turbulent times of worldwide gender-based violence and discrimination, some of it (sadly) occurring in my own beloved home country, the United States.  No place or culture is exempt from the damage caused by men's desire to dominate and control the women in their lives.

GLOW camp in Kibungo lasted five days.  After a day of preparation and teacher training, the Peace Corps and Rwandan faculty welcomed fifty campers, each chosen from local groups of girls who wanted to attend the camp, by means of an essay competition around the theme  "Why I'd like to attend GLOW camp."  The girls were each assigned to one of eight "hero groups," each group named after an influential African woman known for promoting women's rights on the continent. The hero for my group was June Akinyi Arunga, a Kenyan woman who worked to break the bounds of poverty for her nation. She is a founding partner of Black Star Line SA, a technology solution provider focused on using cell phones to manage financial transactions such as payments and money transfers.  Each group also had a "tartan" that all of its campers and faculty proudly wore to proclaim their group's identity.

GLOW Camp -- Kibungo East December 20

For the next five days, campers and faculty were immersed in a variety of didactic courses including topics such as leadership and self-confidence; critical thinking and decision making; and societal and health issues including gender-based violence, consent vs coercion, alcoholism, and HIV/AIDS -- all topics that girls need to understand but are often neglected in both schools and families.   The courses took place in the morning, leaving the afternoon free for more traditional camp-like activities like arts and crafts, a three-legged race, a ball toss contest, a talent show, and lots of dancing.  We even had a debate with the very controversial resolution of "Should girls be expelled from school for being pregnant?"

Campers enjoying their first taste of s'mores

On the last night we had a good old-fashioned bonfire where we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores for the campers. They were enchanted and delighted with the whole process and it was wonderful to witness the discovery of the new taste sensation.

Armed with the skills and knowledge acquired during GLOW camp, and supported by ongoing Peace Corps mentorship the girls will return to their respective schools and start their own version of  GLOW. These young women have taken the first step in becoming leaders of their generation.

Please check out the Flickr album created with the many images captured during camp.