From our small yet diverse country of Uganda— passionately known as The Pearl of Africa—155 young girls and dozens of Peace Corps Volunteers eagerly spent their day traversing the country to converge for Peace Corps Uganda's inaugural Camp GLOW. Though organized and developed tirelessly by Peace Corps Volunteers, ultimately the camp exists to empower each and every girl through activities focusing on self-esteem building, goal setting, health knowledge, behavior change and environmental concern. The mix of excitement and anxious nerves amongst all was present and the journey—nearly a whole day for some—was exhausting, but from the arrival of the very first camper, clearly Camp GLOW was going to be a success. As the campers arrived one by one and in droves, many as strangers, new friendships were quickly being formed. Divided in to 16 different groups, each being led by both a Peace Corps Volunteer and a local Ugandan counselor, the girls all began to settle in to their dormitories and to prepare themselves for an enlightening week to come. As each group was given various animal names such as Lions, Ostriches or Cranes to name a few, the expected bonds were clearly being formed as each group enthusiastically began to create unique cheers often in reflection of their given mascot.
Each camper was given a T-shirt and a manual that contained all the information to be presented over the week and after supper the first opportunity to bring all the campers and staff together occurred. As everyone came together to be officially introduced to the various Camp GLOW Staff members, the evening was filled with numerous skits and songs. Though the camp was just beginning, the feel and mood of campers and staff was incredibly jovial and the energy of all was amazing. Already the potential of the goals of the camp were being realized and yet the sessions had yet to begin. These 155 girls are the future, and their drive and energy through the coming week will not only impact their lives but will empower them to be advocates for all of their friends and family in their homes.
