Camp! Please Read!

So! Camp G2LOW! There's some really exciting stuff going on in my neck of the woods and I want you guys to be able to get involved! Please take a few minutes to read a letter I've crafted explaining some aspects of the camp I will be co-directing this July. (We're halfway to our goal!!)

            I write to you from the future site of Camp G²LOW Banfora, here in Burkina Faso. If you are having difficulties placing us on the map, Burkina Faso is located between Mali and Ghana in Western Africa. It is a small country, only the size of Colorado, with a population of around sixteen million. The country is not well known in the United States and that is why, among countless other reasons, I am proud to live here as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

                

             However, what is Camp G²LOW? It stands for Guys and Girls Leading Our World. In this developing nation, it is vital that the youth take an active role in its future success and direction. Thus, we feel that boys and girls should learn how to foster self-confidence and knowledge of their own abilities and worth. Despite efforts of the government to redress gender inequality, there remains a great divide between the opportunities for boys and girls. We believe whole-heartedly that the girls deserve a chance to shine and to be encouraged. Of course, to change this, we need to teach both guys and girls to work together.

Our camp will be filled with activities and lessons designed to promoting knowledge, confidence, and cooperation.  Whether they are racing to spell health vocab words, experiencing a day in the other gender’s shoes, testing a condom’s strength, or forming an action plan for a life goal, we trust that the sixty 13-15 year-old students at our camp will learn valuable lessons about themselves and the world around them. Some sessions we will be hosting cover topics such as:

Avoiding Malaria                                                                  The Work of Men and Women
Family Planning                                                                    Friendship Between Boys and Girls
The Ability to Listen                                                            Decision-Making Strategies
The Reproductive System and Puberty                               HIV and STI Awareness
Making a Goal a Reality                                                       Violence and How to Stop It

However, this camp cannot function without your help! We need to find the funds to feed all students and counselors, pay for materials, hire cooks and a guard, and purchase educational materials. Currently, we are planning on having the villages and communities involved provide 54% of the total budget.

Thus, we have $2,690 left to raise! We ask that if you are sympathetic to our goals with this camp that you consider a small donation to give these students a chance to learn, but also to really just be kids at the same time. Each dollar provides dinner to a student. Of course 100% of all donations go directly to financing the camp activities and, better yet in time for tax season, each donation is tax-deductible! Simply go to our website www.donate.peacecorps.gov , search Camp G2LOW, and choose the option under our director’s name, Jess Aceves, or go directly here: https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=13-686-011.

Myself, the students, and the counselors involved cannot fully express our appreciation.

Sincerely,

Matt Sakow
Financial Director
Camp G²LOW Banfora, Peace Corps Burkina Faso
matt.sakow@gmail.com

So, yeah! Please consider donating even five dollars to this potentially life-changing opportunity for these students! There is more information available via the link. Trust me, I will be posting photos to show just how awesome this camp is!      .