Africa Culture Camp
Get ready for Camp!
African culture Summer camp is aimed at promoting healthy communities using arts to promote self esteem and an understanding of diverse cultures and identities.
It is a one week, day camp open to African children, children of African descent and Canadian children.
Meet Priscilla Owusu-Amoah
Scilla leads camp again this year! She says: " I am a 4th year kinesiology, Ghanaian student at the U. of W. serving as the president of the U. of W. African Students Association. For 2 years I have led at the Camp. My love for African culture, specifically music and dance, inspires me to encourage others to embrace their rich heritage. Parents tell me about their challenges and I have witnessed issues encountered by refugee families. I am passionate about making a difference and feel that African cultural camp plays an important role."
About the project
“Africa Culture Camp” provides us with a wonderful opportunity to address a number of concerns and to embrace opportunities related to children and families of African descent.
“We know who we are, we know where we are from, but our kids have no idea who they are. They even wish they were white like their friends.” Four moms; two from South Sudan, two from Khartoum, Sudan, shared candidly their angst in watching their children grow up in a dominant white culture. Each had walked the refugee highway escaping terror and poverty, but now encountered a challenge that they could not have anticipated and are not equipped for. Conversations such as this serve as our inspiration behind our “African Cultural Camp” and the many programs and relationships that that naturally arise as a result.
Three years ago we set out to provide African kids with abundant reasons for them to be proud and confident of their heritage. Bring on the Sunshine, Life Change Adventures, the African Canadian Association of Waterloo and Region (ACAWRA) and the University of Waterloo African Students Association (UWASA) partnered to create this yearly event. Our camps are a wonderful mixture of music, creativity, dance, storytelling, mentoring, modeling, crafts and celebration. Over the years our programming and attendance has grown, while many of our kids have matured. Today, some who first joined as campers are making their way into leadership roles at the camp, with all the challenges that can bring.
What if graduates of African cultural camp, while developing vibrant and successful lives, also assumed the key leadership roles of the camp and leading others who will be in similar life positions as they are presently? What kind of world might we create with a vision of successful leadership and contribution for our youth? An AMAZING one!
Africa Camp 2015 is now open for registration! Camp will run from August 10-15th and will be held at our NEW LOCATION, St Johns Lutheran Church in Waterloo.
We are grateful for the support of the Laidlaw Foundation in 2014, and our partnership with Elevation church in 2015.
We aim to:
• Connect children of African descent with their heritage and pride in their heritage
• Providing a bridging opportunity for children to connect with their parents' culture in a way that will assist in bridging the gap between their immigrant parents and the youth growing up as young Canadians
• Enhance self esteem in children of African origin and new comer youth through building Developmental Assets
• Create an opportunity to develop more unity and communication among African organizations and other organisations in the Waterloo Region.
This project will promote healthy, integrated communities by focusing directly on the youth of our region. It will enhance the ethno-culturally diverse services offered by our region and enhance a positive African presence locally as well as ensuring that the children of this region grow up proud, and "Grow up Global".
Staffing: The Camp is run by one paid coordinator and 10-12 youth volunteers.