Summer Camp in Zululand

The campers gather around the Tree of Life banner.

Near the end of the last school year, my principal received an application to nominate 10 learners to attend a five-day sleep-away summer camp. The goal of the camp was to give the kids in this rural area an experience that many “first-world” kids have each and every summer, as well as encourage the use of English. The camp was sponsored by The David Rattray Foundation (www.davidrattrayfoundation.org), a local NGO that does great work with many of the local schools. It turns out they were also looking for chaperones! And while I don’t necessarily think that they had me in mind, I signed up and they invited me to come to the third session from January 9^th to the 13^th.

MaryBeth (center) and her daughter surrounded
by the enthusiastic campers on the last day.

The camp itself, called Isihlahla Sempilo which means the Tree of Life, was great fun for the kids, in my opinion, anyway. It was held at a nearby lodge, with comfortable accommodations, delicious food, and a beautiful outdoor setting. The kids were housed in cabins of 6 or 8 and dined in a covered patio area. Every morning began with a short, outdoor exercise session, followed by a hearty breakfast. The rest of the day was filled with sessions focused on singing, dancing, and creative arts. The main presenters were two Americans named MaryBeth and Vernon who really knew their stuff and how to communicate and to teach English language learners. I also learned an amazing number of new songs, as well as a few dances. In the late afternoon and evenings, there was free time for swimming, playing soccer, watching movies, or just hanging out and meet new people. Everything was conducted in English, so even though nothing was “academic” in nature, the whole camp was essentially a huge language lesson. The last day of the camp was “performance day,” when a small number of guests and visitors were treated to a show starring the kids and featuring the songs the songs and dances they had spent the last few days perfecting.

Vernon (far right) with several of
the other teacher-chaperones.

For a variety of reasons, I am very thankful I had a chance to go. First, it gave me something to do, which was nice since I had been at site for over a week without anything really going on. Second, the camp was very well run and filled with fun ideas that I may try to incorporate into my classroom during the upcoming year. I also got to know a couple of the kids that attend my school as well as a few of the Zulu principals at nearby schools. And, most importantly, since I was at the last session of the camp, I was there when they were giving away all of the supplies! Huge score. I took home masking tape, dozens of top-quality Crayola markers, three feather boas, stencils, and nice cardstock. All of which I have plans for, including the feather boas, although those plans don’t necessarily include school. In any case, I felt great about going back to school today after arriving home from the camp yesterday and I have a good feeling about the year ahead.