Camp G2LOW
The summary below was provided by the Peace Corps Volunteer and the community administering this project.
Map of BURKINA FASO
Since its inaugural year in 2011, more than 650 students have participated in Camp G2LOW in Burkina Faso. This project, which stands for Girls and Guys Leading Our World, is a spin-off of a summer camp run in 22 other Peace Corps countries - Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). The addition of boys in the camp stems from the belief that empowerment of women and girls can only be achieved if both sexes are educated on mutual respect.
Burkinabe youth, and more specifically the female youth, are suffering from high levels of unemployment and few educational opportunities. Additionally, the youth of Burkina Faso often feel that they are victims of the system and do not even try to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy. The youth of Burkina need to be motivated and introduced to tools to tackle these obstacles that the past generations of Burkinabe were never forced to encounter. To do so effectively, it is essential that both men and women work together to better themselves and their country. Nevertheless, gender equality in Burkina Faso is almost nonexistent despite efforts by the government to enact legislation focused on improving women's rights. As a result, Burkinabe women and children are often subjected to domestic violence, unwanted pregnancies, sexual harassment and STIs. With the help of Camp G2LOW 2013, 350 boys and girls from all over Burkina will gain the tools to overcome these obstacles and serve as positive deviants within their communities.
The Camp G2LOW objectives will focus on three themes:
1. Promoting healthy lifestyles: Camp participants will be encouraged and taught how to practice daily hygiene, prevent malaria, apply and promote HIV/AIDS/STI prevention methods and how to practice family planning.
2. Empowering students: Camp participants will gain personal goal setting skills and the tools to make a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-sensitive) decision.
3. Promoting gender equality: Camp participants will gain a better understanding of gender, sex and the spectrum of violence. They will gain the skills needed to form healthy relationships and work as equals, and they will be taught the importance of their roles, rights and responsibilities regarding gender equality.
The success of previous years' camps has prompted the continued expansion of the camp to five sites for 2013, covering almost all regions of Burkina Faso: Kaya in the north, Fada in the East, Leo in the South, Dedouou in the West and Banfora in the Southwest. There will be 60 to 120 students participating in each camp. The sizes of most camps were downsized in order to insure a larger impact for each student and increase the sustainability of the project as it is handed off to Burkinabe. Thus more than 350 boy and girl students will participate in the five Camp G2LOWs held this year. Host country nationals and Peace Corps Volunteers will serve as camp counselors and lead educational sessions.
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