Volume 4 Issue 3
Page 3
Camp GLOW 2006
By: Kaltrina Elezi, GLOW camper from Kumanovo
This year the Peace Corps in Macedonia organized the summer camp for females “Camp GLOW- Girls Leading Our
World”, which was held from 24-29 July in
Strezhevo, a mountainous village in Bitola.
Here participated 60 Albanian and Macedonian girls from 15 to 19 years old from all
over Macedonia. Coordinators of this camp
were Noell Adams and Danielle Sickmiller
from the USA, volunteers of the American
Peace Corps, the branch that works in Macedonia. Besides this, we were accompanied by
10 wonderful counselors of the Peace Corps,
and also the junior counselors, who participated
in
Camp
GLOW
2005.
Camp GLOW was a week full of new
knowledge, fun, meeting with the American
culture, and the most important, in all the
camp everything was spoken in English (that
was one of the purposes of the camp - to improve our English language). While there we
were taught lots of things, of which before
we had an unclear view. Some of the most
attractive and useful sessions were: preparing for a job or university interview, where
Cheryl Calhoun advised us about the things
we ought or ought not do during the interview; goal setting - which helped us understand what we want for ourselves and our
future; hiking - during which we enjoyed the
beautiful scenery of Pelister. We were able
to practice yoga and meditation, something
that we hadn’t done before. We also learned
about self esteem, ID values, stress managing, occupations, make up and beauty, nutri-
tion, volunteerism, community projects,
clean environment, natural resources,
stereotypes, drugs and alcohol, safe migration, self defense, human trafficking, and
much more!
During these days, each of the 6
groups prepared a choreography, which we
presented the last evening. One of the
most emotive parts of the camp was the
candle lighting ceremony on the last night,
when each of us was feeling free to talk
about what she was feeling and what she
had achieved while at camp. Then followed
a splendid party till the late hours.
On Saturday all the girls departed to
their towns, proud of all the things they
learned and for the new friendships they
created in the camp. Camp GLOW boosted
our self-confidence and taught us all that
our lives have meaning, no matter what
anyone else says. The girls returned home
proud of the fact that they are women and
ready for the next battles that come their
way. See you at Camp GLOW 2007!!!