Empowering Girls and Women as Mothers

The Sparks That Stayed

The fire popped, sending a tiny shower of orange sparks drifting up into the dark, starry sky over the trees. I leaned back against the log, pulling my oversized camp hoodie a little tighter. It was freezing, but that was fine with me. Around me, the soft chatter of seventy other kids mixed with the crackling of the fire, but for the first time in as long as I could remember, my head was completely quiet.

Back home, quiet usually means something is wrong. Quiet means the electricity got cut again, or out on the road, something was happening and everyone was holding their breath waiting for the screams or the shots. This kind of quiet felt like a giant, warm blanket, heavy and comforting.

"Hey, Tsepho," Meriam whispered, nudging my shoulder with her elbow. She passed me a perfectly golden, slightly gooey marshmallow. "You’re staring into space again. You, okay?"

"Yeah," I smiled, taking the marshmallow. "Just thinking."

A World Away From Home

Before GlobalGiving and this camp, my winters were spent either staring at the corrugated iron on my bedroom ceiling or outside in the dust and wind. When you grow up in a neighbourhood where the streets aren't always safe and there is little to do in the village, your world shrinks. You learn to stop asking for things because you already know the answer: We can't afford it right now!.

But last Monday, I packed my plastic bag with my clothes and my blanket, took my plate and cup and headed off to the main street to catch a taxi to town. Then I met with other scouts heading towards a second taxi, this time we would leave the town of Tzaneen with its buildings and travel into the rolling green hills and avocado plantation of Westfalia, it felt like we were crossing a border into a completely different planet.

Here, they didn't just give us three meals a day (though the chicken and pap was legendary). They gave us space to just... be kids.

• On Monday: I was taught how to erect a tent, my home for the next 5days. I was taught how to make a bed out of leaf litter and placed my kit inside the tent. We also built our own tables and chairs to have dinner.
• On Tuesday: I was taught how to read a map and compass and then we set off on a hike. I was terrified, I had never been in the bush on my own. I had never travelled using a map like this, we had to navigate our way to the fire lookout on a huge hill out of sight. I thought about all the poisonous snakes we have in South Africa, the leopards and baboons that we can hear at night. My knees shaking but the others kids and I kept pretending to be brave until I reached the top of the mountain. I didn't know I could be brave like that.
• On Wednesday: I learnt about how to cook on a fire without using utensils, I didn’t know it was so easy, starting the fire without matches was a challenge, but we go it done. I am so proud of myself. We also attended training on child protection, now I know how to help other kids who are being abused.
• On Thursday: We waded into the creek to look for macroinvertebrates. I got mud up to my elbows and laughed so hard my stomach hurt. We also had training on First Aid, now I know how to do CPR, so if some one’s heart stops, I can do something, I KNOW WHAT TO DO.

The Real Magic

Every night we had campfires and presented skits and songs and jokes to the other kids. It was scary standing in front of everyone, but I did it. "Alright, everyone," Akela said, her voice warm. "It’s our last night. Who wants to share what they're taking home with them?"

A few kids shouted out things like "the camp songs!" or "the mapping skills!" But when it got quiet again, I found myself standing up. My heart thumped against my ribs, just like it did on the hike.

"I’m taking home the feeling that I matter," I said, my voice a little shaky but clear. "Before I came here, I thought my world was always going to be small. But you guys showed me how big it actually is. I learned that I’m strong, I learned that I can make friends, and I learned that there are people out there—people who don't even know me—who cared enough to send me here."

I looked around the circle. In the firelight, I saw Meriam wiping a tear from her cheek, and Akala was nodding with a proud smile.

A Spark of Gratitude

• On Friday: I couldn’t believe the camp was finished. We pack our bags and head back to the Tzaneen. The noise, the concrete, and the realities of home will be waiting for us. But something has changed inside me.

Those sparks from the campfire eventually fade into the night, but the spark this camp put in my heart isn't going anywhere. To everyone at GlobalGiving who made this happen: thank you for giving us a safe place to grow, to laugh, and to finally see how bright our own futures can be.

Tsepho (14yr old Scout)

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