This whole voyage starts in part because of Phil Lilienthal. So let's start there.

4. Camp Sizanani. Phil Lilienthal as guide and manifestation of the Great Spirit. Camp Sizanini starts on 12/7. http://www.sizanani.org/

npr -http://hereandnow.w bur.org/2012/09/28/camp-south-african;

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2012/09/28/camp-south-african

Phil –

I just had a lovely and informative conversation with Mary and Judy who described their involvement in Lesotho thru the office of the first lady there as it involved an “evaluation” of Camp . They also briefly mentioned the connection to Sizanani and the training your staff had done with Camp staff. Each of them is interested in knowing what is currently going on vis-à-vis the camp and what the “follow up” (if any) has been.

I am unclear - at the end of that conversation - what you had in mind when you put the three of us together for a chat. Is there some way that I can be of “use” to you in Lesotho, or were you just giving me interesting contacts so that I might be better informed (and perhaps realistic in my expectations) in my travels in Lesotho, or did you have some other purpose? Did you mention to me at some point that Global Camps Africa was considering a venture in Lesotho? Can I be of any help as an interested visitor/camp ambassador?

The IAAP team described the history of our partnership with GCA and the Office of the First Lady and various Ministries in Lesotho, Africa, for the Girls Empowerment Programme, and

the model and success of that project.

GCA director Lilienthal detailed his extensive experience running camps in America and throughout Africa, concentrating on South Africa, where GCA is headquartered. Camps are residential and also in day format; after the camp is over, Saturday programs (Kids’ Clubs) take place for 6 months to a year, to reinforce and enhance the messages delivered at the Camps. Training the counselors before the Camp is an essential element, which has to be figured into the costs.

The youth development and leadership initiative, under the Department of Social Development, is supported at the Ministerial level. The goals are to provide youth with life skills and heightened self-esteem to meet challenges and build leadership ability; to provide opportunities to develop awareness and understanding of community issues, problems and resources; to develop youth-led programs in their communities; and to work on ideas to improve their communities better. Director of the Department Luka explained that youth is defined as ages 18-35, in terms of four categories: youth at school; youth out of school; youth in institutions; and youth as Change Agents. To identify “Youth as Change Agents,” the Department assesses poor households and identifies able-bodied individuals who can change the household situation and serve as support for other individuals to achieve their dreams. The goals are to build local capacity and job-creating opportunities, and to have a household change agent and a community change agent in each district. Consistent with the focus on community development, community needs are assessed. One value-based program, for youth out-of-school who have not passed matriculation, offers an accredited program that serves as a bridge to enter university. Empowerment is very important; and supplements to the Life Skills currently provided in schools would be helpful. Education has to be practical and focus on developing the inner person. Drug and alcohol abuse, and also teen pregnancy rates, are very high in areas, so developing capacities in youth to avoid falling into these traps is crucial. To embellish programming already in the villages, Day Camps and Residential camps would be valuable, ideally for all four categories, year-round, starting with a general model that would be adapted for each of the four youth categories. A community facilitator would assist after the residential camp, when the campers return to their communities, to help develop local capacity. The community should also be invited to see the Camps, to foster community-building and social cohesion. After a year, all the attendees would be followed up to ascertain the outcome and assess what’s working well.

The challenge is the cost of such programming as financial resources are limited; additional donors from the private sector can be approached. Some camps have been run with students from private schools, which creates cross-subsidization; the ones who can pay subsidize the ones who cannot. This provides more cohesion. Boarding Schools or churches could be used as facilities. Phil noted that while Residential Camp programs are preferable, Day Camp programs are successful and cost considerably less. In terms of job development, many GCA counselors have gotten permanent jobs with other organizations (e.g. in the private sector and with NGOs) after having worked at the Camps.

Further meetings were held in South Africa with the GCA director (our IAAP partner) and

Department of Social Development staff, who also visited the Camp. We hope to also meet during the International Congress of Psychology (ICP) in Cape Town, South Africa, July 2012.