Camp Sizanani: Training, 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!
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.