Camp Glow

Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is a program that was developed by Peace Corps years ago and is used in many countries around the world to empower young women. Malawi started Camp GLOW in 2003 and it has been held annually by the Health Sector of Peace Corps. I was one of the lucky few from this year’s Health Sector able to attend. It was a privilege and honor being among Malawi’s brightest students. These young women inspired me and it was truly the best two days of my service so far.

I was there Friday night, which was the evening of the Talent Show. The girls went on stage – where they were the stars – and showed off their dances, dramatic skits, singing abilities – it was so moving. Their smiles never faded. Their energy was contagious and could have lasted all night long. It was beautiful.

The next day Her Excellency, the First Lady of Malawi, Callista Mutharika came to speak to the girls. 

Callista has proposed several campaigns supporting women and child health. She told the girls about her successes and gave advice to continue their education and to be the best people they can be. The girls sang songs to welcome the First Lady and got their photo taken with her.

That night we had a bonfire and held a candle-lighting ceremony where each girl could take turns saying what she learned from Camp Glow. It was very moving. The girls were insightful and grateful and I knew they were inspired to go back home and make a difference in their community, but also sad to be saying good-bye

It was a truly awesome experience.

However, it wasn’t all roses and butterflies. At a few points, reality struck.

One girl stepped forward and shared that she was HIV-positive. She was born with it and her parents were 

both gone. She lived with her extended family, who treats her poorly. They continually tell her that she is not one of them and she should be grateful that they took her in when no one else would. She knows her life will be cut short, but she still smiles and she still strives to be a strong woman. It’s heartbreaking to see a young girl with so much potential, yet her life is cut short by a stigmatized disease she was born into. She is making the most of the life she has been given and I wish her the best. I know the week she spent at Camp Glow was one of the best she has ever had.

Another girl admitted to a counselor that she had not menstruated in a month. She had some concerns and so we got her a pregnancy test. The test was positive – she was pregnant. She fell the ground in tears and said her family will not support this, they will be so disappointed. She admitted that she had been dating a boy for several years, but they had never slept together. He had been helping her with her school fees. When she completed her final year of secondary school, he felt that he was owed something in return for paying her school fees. He gave her some Sobo (a syrupy-sweet beverage in Malawi) that she said tasted a little funny and soon after, she felt sleepy. He proceeded to pressure her to sleep with him, but she didn’t have the energy to stop him. Her whole future was ahead of her. It tore me up to think this girl lost so much in just one moment of another person’s selfishness. I can only hope she will find the support from her family and raise this child to be a strong individual just like she is and maybe she can continue her schooling after the birth.

Reality hits hard sometimes. But I am happy to be a part of an organization that promotes women’s empowerment the way that it does. These girls would not have similar opportunities otherwise. I hope that this program continues to grow and we can inspire more girls to continue to strive to be the best that they can be.