Emily 3/16/26 Emily 3/16/26

GCA BOARD MEMBER TRAVELS TO SOUTH AFRICA

David Gallegos, a member of the GCA Board of Directors, is traveling to South Africa on March 17 to experience our transformative programs in person! For the next few weeks, follow along as David documents his journey to Camp Sizanani.

On Tuesday, March 17th, 2026, I’m embarking on a three-week immersion in South Africa alongside Global Camps Africa and Camp Sizanani Life Skills.

I have been privileged to visit South Africa before, but this return will be a profoundly different experience. I’m not arriving as a traveler; I’m returning as a volunteer, a board member, and a champion for an incredible mission to elevate vulnerable youth.

My journey will take me from the vibrant energy of youth clubs in the townships of the City of Johannesburg to strategic meetings with leaders in the City of Cape Town to discuss expanding our impact. The heartbeat of the trip, however, will be my time at Camp Sizanani, serving as an international counselor and working directly alongside the children and staff who bring this vision to life.

Global Camps Africa equips young people with the essential life skills, confidence, and mentorship they need to lead healthy, empowered lives. It’s more than just a camp; it’s a safe haven where these children discover their own potential and begin to rewrite their futures.

I am thrilled to learn from the communities we serve and to witness the programs in action. Travel changes you, but I believe service transforms you. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing a window into this journey - illuminating the resilient communities, the powerful moments of connection, and the hope being built on the ground. I can’t wait to bring you all along for this transformative journey.

Stay tuned for moments, stories, and the powerful work happening on the ground.

Emily 10/22/25 Emily 10/22/25

INTERN EXPERIENCE AT GCA

This year, Global Camps Africa was very lucky to have Aung Khant, a graduate student at the University of Maryland, join our team as a Policy & Advocacy Intern. Aung brought thoughtfulness and creativity to his work supporting our advocacy and communications efforts. In the reflection below, he shares what he learned during his internship and how the experience deepened his understanding of youth empowerment and connection across cultures.

Looking back on my internship experience at Global Camps Africa, I feel incredibly fortunate to be involved with such an organization committed to the health and safety of youth and their communities. When I first started my internship, I was wary of what to expect. However, it soon became clear that my position here was more than an internship; it was an educational experience that connected public health with a better understanding of youth-related challenges in South Africa.

The best part about this experience was the perfect balance between independence and structure. I was allowed to work independently on projects, such as writing policy memos, researching advocacy strategies, and helping develop coalition letters—while simultaneously receiving oversight and feedback. I appreciated how the work felt purposeful. Whether it was mapping potential partners or analyzing survey data from camp modules, every deed contributed to a larger picture of fostering a safer and healthier future for youth.

I acquired many skills during this internship, including but not limited to policy research and writing, stakeholder mapping, data interpretation, and strategic thinking. I feel most confident in my ability to articulate my purpose to various audiences, especially through writing about complicated health-related issues. These will serve me well during my MPH studies and future career committed to public health policy and advocacy.

I hope to see myself working in the future with a governmental or community-based organization focused on health equity and systems transformation. This internship solidified my professional aspirations, especially with multiple organizations established by advocates looking to go deeper into youth-related grassroots community efforts. I’ve also learned the importance of collaboration and narrative-building—lessons that extend far beyond this experience.

Thank you to the GCA team for cultivating an environment where I could both learn, give back, and grow. I look forward to following your endeavors and continued influence around the world.

Emily 2/19/25 Emily 2/19/25

Camp Sizanani: Camp, Day 1

Meet Wendi Sue Gresanti, associate director of Pine Grove Day Camp in New Jersey, USA. She attended the September 2024 session of Camp Sizanani, living and working as a bona fide vochelli alongside our South African staff. Read her blog to get a taste of daily Sizanani life!

The campers were arriving this morning and you could feel the excitement in the air. We were to meet for breakfast at 8pm but received a knock on the door at 7:40 asking us to come to a meeting for Vochelli Specialists (the staff members who escort the campers from activity to activity). This was our assignment for the week. We went to the training center and helped prepare the folders for the campers with notebooks and pens. We received a composition book to take notes ourselves. We set up the backpacks with four water bottles to carry with us. Found out that the campers could all drink from these same four water bottles throughout the day. After breakfast, the buses arrived. One hundred and thirty five campers got off the buses to the Vochellis singing their “I’m so glad” song. I’m so glad, the campers are here...

The campers looked like they were excited yet a little timid. We welcomed them, pulled their luggage off the bus and escorted them to the theater to set them up with their group and bunk Vochellis. I learned I would be with the oldest campers (boys and girls ages 17-19), my sister Janet with the 15-16 years old group. We had been briefed on any concerns for the campers. I had one who suffered from seizures, one who had “spiritual gifts”, and others with food allergies and other minor medical conditions.

After settling in, the Wellness Drive began. The campers would travel by group to see the Nurses station for a full check, the optometrist , audiologist and dentist. Janet and I were assigned to help at the nurses station where there were four nursing students and their director, along with the volunteer doctor Yvonne, doing the intakes. Janet and I did weight and height, calculated the BMIs, took temperature and later did the blood pressures to help move things along. The nurses took their medical histories, discussed their blood pressure issues as needed (there were more high blood pressures than you would expect for these aged campers). Some campers had lung issues, unhealed wounds. One was determined to have spinal curvature causing some pain. Many campers expressed how this was the first time they had ever seen a doctor. Janet and I tried to keep things light for the campers as many seemed anxious at seeing the doctor and nurses. We got to see all of the 135 campers in one day.

After dinner, we went to the campfire as a welcoming and to sing songs and kick off camp.

Emily 2/10/25 Emily 2/10/25

Camp Sizanani: Training, Day 1

As we pulled into the campsite that would, for the next 11 days, be the home for Camp Sizanani, I was taken back by the charm of the facilities. Brick laid roads in decorative circular patterns, large stone buildings to be used as bunks and training locations and lots of trees and foliage everywhere you look. It was a peaceful setting and not at all what I had expected, but I was pleasantly surprised.

I’m not sure what I had expected when I began my research on the camp over a year ago. My plan was to travel to South Africa and work with the children who were in some way affected by HIV/AIDS. Some have lost loved ones, some have been diagnosed themselves with the disease and some have had their own personal traumas to work though. The camp was created to support these young people and help them begin to heal from their pasts.

When I was accepted to volunteer, my sister Janet asked to volunteer with me. Janet has worked tirelessly over the years to help children in need. First volunteering as a Big Sister during college, then signing up with the Peace Corp to teach in Togo (only to have a devastating car accident which prevented her from going). Then working with the Make a Wish Foundation, being a wish coordinator for terminally ill children, owning a Huntington Learning Center (as education means the world to her), and finally being a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) member speaking on behalf of children in court hearings. The fact that she was coming with me was very comforting to me... I had an ally.

The first three days at the campsite would be training for the eight day camp. As an Associate Director of a summer day camp in New Jersey, I am familiar with orientation training and felt I knew what I was in for, but this training was different. Yes, of course there were many similarities: Ice breaker games and team builders to play with the campers and the logistics of camp. But there was a much larger emotional aspect than at my home camp. Training included how to create open safe space for campers to talk about their issues if they felt comfortable with you and how to discuss sensitive subjects such as sex, condoms, child abuse, rape, illness, loss of parents, etc.

Upon arrival we had a brief welcome meeting in the training center. Then each Vochelli (a made up word meaning Camp Sizanani staff member) went to the nurse’s station for a physical and mental screening. We told that the Social Workers were there for all of the staff as well as the campers. At the time, I wasn’t sure why that was mentioned, but came to realize as the week went on.

We then went to lunch in the dining hall. First things first, we all washed our hands as someone scooped out some soapy water with a bowl and poured it over your hands. Then the songs began. Oh these loud, enthusiastic, beautiful songs of the county, some in english, some in one of the 11 languages spoken at the camp. As you wait for everyone to enter the dining hall, the songs and dances were just infectious. These Vochellis, with large smiles on their faces singing and dancing as if to be joyously celebrating the moment. The crowd was hushed and someone offered a prayer before entering the hall.

Not going to lie, some of the food was known in America, some was so foreign that I just couldn’t. Chicken feet and beaks, known as “Walking Talkies”, is one example.

The staff were all quite welcoming. Happiness was the first to introduce herself. We got to meet Kabelo (KB, the camp director). He reminded me of our camp director back at home. A jubilant leader you wanted to follow - Outgoing and joyful. But then over the first day alone, we were in many conversations with the Vochellis, trying to get everyone’s name down but it was difficult. Much different spelling structure with silent letters and vowels with different sounds from home. And sometimes a ‘click’ in their name... still haven’t gotten that down yet. But what I noticed most about the staff is their warmth, their enthusiasm, and their welcoming nature. These were exceptional people, and that was obvious from day one.

We went to the pool and I noticed that most of the Vochellis could not swim. Some were trying to learn and practicing some strokes, but for the most part the ones that did go in were not swimmers. It’s just not part of their culture, but we found out that part of the curriculum would be to help the camper learn to, at the very least, be able to stay afloat if they were in water and hopefully some would learn to swim while at camp.

The night ended with an after dinner Karaoke night for the staff. We went and were surprised that a few songs were in english (Sweet Caroline, I Want to Dance with Somebody, etc.) But most were in an African language.

Emily 11/14/24 Emily 11/14/24

THE STORY OF CARVIN KHAMBULE

Meet Carvin Khambule, an up-and-coming videographer who filmed content for Global Camps Africa at the October 2024 session of Camp Sizanani. Born and raised in Johannesburg, Carvin faced many of the same hardships as our campers, but he never stopped chasing his dream or believing in his own incredible potential.

Hello, my Name is Carvin Khambule, I am 27 years old.

This story is one of immense resilience, faith, and the pursuit of a creative dream despite nearly insurmountable challenges. Born and raised in the bustling streets of Alexandra, I faced heart-breaking adversity at a young age. When my mother passed away, I was chased out of my home weeks after the burial and my little brother passed on after. These devastating losses left me without family, home, or support, and for a time, I felt hopeless and utterly lost.

With a deep-seated passion for creativity and film-making, I sought shelter from friends and family, but found closed doors at every turn. Desperate and filled with fear, I turned to the only place left for me: the local mall, where I sought help from the security guards. In an act of kindness that rekindled my spirit, one security guard offered me a safe place to sleep at night. For nearly three months, I spent nights there and days searching for hope, driven by a vision of creating something meaningful.

But life on the streets of Johannesburg was unforgiving, and my journey of survival continued. For almost three years, I struggled to get by. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I sought a fresh start in Orange Farm, seeking escape from the taunts of former friends who mocked my situation, taking my picture and sending them in group chats for a laugh. A stranger from Mozambique offered me a place to stay until I got back on my feet. Once again, I was a stranger in a new place with nowhere to go. Turning to a nearby mall, I found kindness from another security guard, which gave me the strength to continue.

In a bid to catch someone’s attention and an opportunity, I always stood at the traffic lights 6 days a week from 8:30 am until 5:00 pm. I created a simple sign that read: “Please believe in the creativity I provide; one chance is all I need.” For more than a year and 4 months, I stood at busy intersections, hoping someone would see my potential. My persistence paid off when a kind stranger noticed me and asked me to design a logo for his business. I worked to impress the man, who went on to give me another task and soon after, he donated a camera to me to encourage my talent and passion, sparking the beginning of a brighter chapter in my life.

With the new camera in hand, I pursued every opportunity to grow my skills and network. Then, one day, I came across Camp Sizanani on Instagram, an organization working to uplift young people in disadvantaged communities. Inspired by their mission, I reached out to Claire, one of the team members. To my surprise, Kabelo, another member of the Sizanani staff, drove to meet me personally. He welcomed me into his house and family. Camp Sizanani offered a place where I could not only heal but also contribute my talents. Through emotional workshops like Splatter Painting, I was finally able to confront and release the heavy burdens of my past. The hugs, the laughter, and the unwavering support at Camp Sizanani were like nothing I had ever experienced; it was here that I found love and belonging.

Camp Sizanani’s support, the payment I received for my services, helped me with financial stability to prevent me from losing my rented home in Orange Farm. Their help came at a time of great need, allowing me to keep my precious camera and, with the money earned, register my business, XUnimet Promotions. This marked the birth of my dream, where I could finally pursue my passion for storytelling and brand creation through my own company.

I want to say Thank You So Much For The Support And Love Received. I would also love to thank Claire, Kabelo, Emily, and Phil for their kindness and support.

I look forward to working together once more.

Business: XUnimet Promotions

Instagram: @xunimetp

Twitter: @xunimetp

LinkedIn: XUnimet Promotions

Email: carvinxolani01@gmail.com