Children in the Wilderness

(Zara) Children In The Wilderness is a program conducted to teach school children all over Africa what is in their backyards. Most kids and even adults never leave their home villages so the objective is to show them that there is a world outside of their communities, sometimes just an hours drive away. Every year some safari camps close down for a few days so the kids can stay there to learn about plants, animals, and most importantly conservation. The poaching of animals has created a problem in many African countries. By making these kids aware of the issues, the situation will hopefully improve as more of them are educated. The camp takes them on a few safari drives to actually see and learn about these magnificent animals and the nature around them while still having loads of fun.

Abigail opening her goody bag

For three days, ten boys and ten girls stayed in tents cramming five kids and a camp “mother” or “father” in each tent. Some of them had to sleep in the same twin bed but compared to their homes, these tents were a luxury. They had running water and electricity, which many of them don’t have at home. When they arrived singing in their local language all the way down the road, we greeted the very shy children. Over the course of three days their shyness noticeably changed. The first thing we did was give them a goody bag consisting of a water bottle, two t-shirts, soap, a toothbrush, deodorant, and some school supplies. Later they were also given sweatshirts, socks, gloves, and hats, which was put to good use on cold nights when all they had was a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I noticed instantly that the only belongings they brought all fit into a plastic bag and only some had an extra pair of trousers or a shirt with them. One child came with an empty bag. The expressions on their faces while opening the bags clearly demonstrated how eager they were to have these items that will make such a difference for them. Their bright smiles stuck on their faces for the rest of their stay.

Every second of everyday was scheduled down to the minute. Each morning for three days we had a 6:00 am wake up call and I could barely draw my self out of bed to be exposed to the cold air. At 6:30 am morning exercises were held and I have no idea how these kids had so much energy. We played games like cheetah cheetah impala (duck duck goose) or one child would stand in the middle of the circle and conduct an exercise. Warm ups were usually followed by breakfast where the kids always sang a couple songs and said a prayer before they ate. It was adorable and each day one girl would take the lead and they sang beautifully in unison. The afternoons were always different and we would do lots of team building games including crossing crocodile infested water, getting an entire team through a spider web, or steering your way through a mine field blindfolded. Many lessons were taught too for instance changing a tire, making bread, or setting up a tent. Three teams were created for these games and Jolie and I were in charge of the elephants. Maya was the leader of the lions and Halle the warthogs.

During every meal a small celebration took place when we chose which campers have participated well or have been seen doing good deeds by helping others. Three or four super camper awards are given out at a time and a chant is led for each one. It is led by big and loud, Uncle Avias. He yells “Supah!” (Super) And they scream back “Campah!” (Camper) Or “One hundred!” “Percent!” Each chant is yelled several times to get them all hyped up for when the super camper’s name is revealed and he/she goes to stand on a wooden zebra. Everyone together yells another chant and then the process repeats. After a while it becomes really fun and the kids look forward to get super camper awards at the next meal. It is very exciting and the elephants 50 feet from the camp often get scared and run away from the loud noises.

My two favorite parts of Children In The Wilderness had to be soccer and the box game. One afternoon the activity was playing a soccer game on a sandy field. The teams were easily arranged into boys vs girls and I automatically thought the boys would crush the girls. I was proven wrong when the fearless girls would run straight at the boys as they were winding up to make a big kick. They all played with great energy and showed their skills maneuvering the ball down the field. The game ended in a one to one tie and it was a well fought battle by each side. The box game was another favorite and one night after dinner all of the staff and the Salem family (except for Jolie) went and waited by the pool. When the camp directors and the kids were ready they called each person over to the campfire. Maya was first and after a couple minutes I heard Maya scream. I was next and already scared. When I got over Fautso explained the box game and said, “under these five boxes there are five different items and you need to call out what they are as you see them. Some may be more difficult then others but try to go as fast as you can.” The kids gave me a countdown from ten and then I picked up the first box, “coke can!” Second, “mug!” Third, “ahhhhh!” Charles who was part of the staff jumped out from under the table with a mop on his head and scared me to death. Once I calmed down Halle came out and so on. Everyone got scared but the last two guys got so scared that they fell on the ground. It was hilarious every time.

This experience will last forever in our memories and the children’s and now they can go back to school and tell all of their families and friends what they did and learned on their trip. Some of the kids who often contributed to group discussions obviously had a passion for learning and I hope that they will continue to portray to others what they had just learned about conserving wildlife and nature.