Stargazing and Summer Camp

"Although no one can go back and make a brand new start,

anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."
 ~Carl Bard 

Hello everyone….I’m ALIVE! I know it’s been a WAY long time since my last post. Possibly due to power surges in villages without stable electricity, or some other unknown reason, my computer crashed and burned. At first I was devastated by this, but after a while I became used to my unplugged life and began to see the positive side of things. I have read many books. There have been quiet evenings spent lying on top of my roof at night, stargazing up at this amazing African sky, where the Milky Way is so big and bright, it feels like you could touch it. I also realized, again, how much I love my shortwave radio, relying on contact with the outside world through Voice of America and the BBC. 

Then one day a miracle happened and I received a package from home with a new Windows tablet. Hurray, I’m back!!! (sort of) I can’t get online at home, because it won’t work with Togocel, but it works wherever there is WiFi, so I just have to trek over to an internet café for my connections. This will mean less time online, and more time plugged into my Peace Corps life, which is a good thing, sometimes boring and lonely, but still good.  And the blog continues……  

July news: I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in Camp UNITE up at the Pagala center. Camp UNITE is organized by Peace Corps volunteers and Togolese counterparts, a youth leadership camp for students from all over Togo. I was happy to have both my nominees from Kpalime selected to attend camp. There are girls and boys weeks, and I attended the girls week as a formatrice.    

                                                                               

Camp was a fantastic experience. It was great getting to know the girls and the formateurs. I led two sessions at camp and also stayed in a cabin with some of the girls. I loved being a camp counselor! My favorite night was a big party where every cabin put on a dance and sang in front of everyone, formateurs included. We had to incorporate songs and dances from all the ethnic regions of Togo. I learned five traditional Togolese dances and songs, and performed them with my girls. It was SO much fun, definitely one of the highlights of my Peace Corps service and a night I will never forget.   

It was heartwarming to hear the girls talk about how much they learned from their time in Pagala. They were so motivated to start fresh, continue their education, and teach friends back home what they had discovered in camp. Leaving on the last day was really sad. When it was time to get into the bush taxis, all the girls were crying and very emotional. They had made many good friends, shared their feelings, and explored new ideas together, all in just five days. The goodbyes were hard for everyone. This was such a worthwhile and positive experience. I am already looking forward to participating in summer camps next year.