Wow, talk about one tiring and rewarding experience. This week I brought 3 young boys, whom have probably never left more than an hour from home, to camp in the great outdoors of the mountain community called Los Bueys. This is where we held a Peace Corps camp called Camp Superman, which is a young boys camp to give them a fun experience where they can also learn the values to be the best “Superman” they can be.
What did we do in Camp Superman? Fly? Well almost. We made a relay race ending in a large slip-in-slide finish. We also played Survivor, a take on Laser tag, where we used Alka Seltzer tabs tied on necklaces, and the teams were equipped with water bags to try to spray and dissolve the other teams tabs. Once the tab melts and falls off the necklace, you are thus out of the game, but can still help your team by filling up water and cheering or yelling intimidating battle cries. We also did the classic relay race while first spinning around a bat, and then they had to run to their respective team volunteer and then run back. This resulted in every child immediately running sideways and collapsing on the ground. One very small child whom could hardly see, because he always wore his purple plastic glasses only around his neck, ran straight into my surprising arms. Myself not being his volunteer, quickly tried to redirect this poor blind dizzy child to his repective volunteer. Aw it was so cute. There was also the always emotional tug-of-war, team building activities, trust falls, a nature hike, wilderness survival by Dominican Boys Scouts, science projects, instrument making and drum line, paint your own superman plaque, obviously a bonfire and s'mores, and lots and lots of river time. There were no showers so the river also became our bath.
To qualify for our grant funding for the camp, we had a group come to teach about HIV/AIDS through soccer drills and games. I also had the pleasure of trying to teach about gender roles to pre-adolescent boys. I am not sure how much they actually absorbed, but at least they’ve been introduced to the topic, right? We did do improvisation skits, which they did at least like, and repeated through out the camp by saying PAUSA (Pause, in case you couldn’t get that translation), and make their friends freeze, Saved By the Bell style.
The boys got to set up their own tents with the help of volunteers, and I actually slept underneath the stars for lack of tents. One really hilarious coincidence, was one of the 3 dominican made movies, happened to take place in the area that we camped. Just our luck this movie was in the horror genre and it was called Andrea (the same as one of the volunteers at the camp). Think… having a small boys camp in the middle of the Blair Witch Forest. Whoops. The muchachos were thus freaking out and saying Andrea was bothering them all night long. Our first response was, hmm I don’t think Andrea would be doing that (referring to the volunteer not the haunting, killing, spirit). We then later learned about the movie, and I have since bought it for mine and your viewing pleasure once I return.
Scary spirits aside, the boys had a very rewarding experience, leaving their communites, meeting boys from all over the country, camping, and learning to be little gettleman.
We had rewards for a Superman for every day, whom exemplified the values of Superman, hence helping others, justice, strength, and politeness. The last day we gave the boys certificates, t-shirts, and comic books and then rewarded one extra special boy the title of Superman of the Camp! Guess whose kid won??? Yours truly, Superman Alex Rodriguez from Higuerito, Moca! I felt like a proud mother! He won a few different gifts, the best being a brand new baseball glove, which we broke in this weekend playing catch.
Okay get ready with some tissues…
When it started pouring and we finished playing catch, Alex, was asking me how proud I was of him in the camp. He was also asking how we decided on choosing the different Superman’s of the day and camp, and whom else I had nominated for the awards and why. I told him, how we had chosen the most helpful, caring, and polite campers for the awards because they exemplified the values of Superman. I told Alex that besides him, I was extremely impressed by the first day winner, a young boy named Carlin. I asked him, if he had known that Carlin lives on the street half of the time, and the other half in a youth center in Santiago (a nearby city) where a fellow volunteer works. He was silent and shook his head no. I told him how impressed I was by Carlin’s selflessness, always wanting to help others and how gracious he was for everything during the camp. For a child growing up in such harsh conditions, I told him its impressive for Carlin to be growing into such a positive and loving man.
Alex, turns to me and says, “I guess there are a lot of homeless Haitians living here, whom lost their homes in the earthquake.” I tell him yes that is true. With tears in his eyes, he tells me, “If I could, I would build a hotel with 1 million rooms to house 1 million Haitians, so no one would have to be without a home.” It was maybe one of the sweetest things I have heard in this country. I told him yes maybe one day he could. I also told him I would look into visiting the center where Caralin sometimes stays, if he wanted to. He just shook his head yes.
In a country where racial tensions are quite high, I was quite touched by Alex’s compassion. It goes to show, that change is possible especially through the still forming minds of children.
This year, I have the pleasure of being in charge of a regional diversity camp for youth ages, 13-20 mas o menos. The Camp is called Celebrando Cibao (Celebrating the Cibao, which is the name for the north region of the Dominican Republic).
During the three-day conference, participants have a safe environment in which to examine their own culture, be introduced to other cultures, and gain the tools to combat discrimination in their communities. The conference will give my youth the opportunity to share and learn with 80 other young Dominicans throughout the northern region of the country.
The conference will be financed by a grant through donations from each participating community, and from volunteers’ family and friends.
The grant is through a program called Peace Corps Partnership, which allows family, friends, and the general public to donate to sustainable Peace Corps projects in a tax-deductible safe manner.
Donate! Tax-deductible donations can be made at this link.
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=517-389
I hope everyone’s summer is doing great! Miss you all and good food so much!
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