Camp GLOW 2010 - Girls Leading Our World - Join Us in Saving the World!!!

Saving the world is actually easier than it seems.  For I don't know how long, the answer has been staring at me, at us, and itself, but because of tradition, culture, misguided and/or misinterpreted religious doctrine, and perhaps ego from some, the answer has been neglected and in some cases suppressed.  The answer is women.  Women have the power to transform communities, but they need a helping hand.

In my one year and a half of Peace Corps service, I have witnessed an amazing transformation in my community.  I speak of the work of my Moroccan counterpart and entrepreneur extraordinaire, Mrs. Amina Yabis who just ten years ago thought to herself that it wasn't right that the women of Sefrou, makers of some of the finest djellaba buttons in all of Morocco, gained so little from the sale of their handicraft.  In an effort to counter the middlemen, Amina and a group of women decided to take the leap of faith and form a cooperative with the goal of taking ownership of their handicraft.  With the help of Peace Corps volunteers, Amina and nine other women wrote the bylaws and secured a micro-credit loan, and just like that, the Cherry Buttons Cooperative was born.  As the coop gained notoriety for its distinctive selection of buttons, the coop began to grow.  Another volunteer arrived and helped the coop diversify its product line by providing weaving and other professional development training.  Then I arrived and began working with Amina and a former volunteer to help the coop secure a spot in the 2009 Santa Fe International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  She went, sold nearly everything in dollars, and came back with a good chunk of capital that was then applied towards the construction of a building for the cooperative.  In March of 2010, the cooperative moved all their looms to their new center and celebrated the completion of their new home.

The reason I share this story is to demonstrate that it only takes one person who is hungry and motivated to unite others, demand change, and effect change in their community.  Ten years ago, the cooperative was just an idea.  Today it has nearly 40 members, a handful of apprentices every year, provides steady employment for a number of women, produces quality products, travels all around Morocco showcasing its work, and is once again invited to participate in the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market for 2010.  

Amina believes there are many young women out there who just need the information, some start-up resources, and a support network to develop the next big enterprise.  One way by which to provide the training and empower young women is through her coop's sister association's annual Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). The camp is a week-long event that brings health professionals, lawyers, star athletes, Peace Corps volunteers, and business entrepreneurs under one roof to encourage young rural women to break the cycle of dependency and to take control of their future. By exposing the young women to successful role models and by engaging in dialogue with community leaders, the young women begin to formulate ideas of what they could become. The camp is a place to exchange ideas, to network, and to build a larger support network.

One former participant was Najoua Ammzon, a 20-year old high school graduate from the small village of Tafijirt, Morocco. Prior to Camp GLOW, Najoua was unemployed and lived with her parents in her village. But after being inspired by Amina, Najoua decided that she had a lot of potential and could never return to sitting at home in her village, nor would she be happy if she simply married and became a housewife. Najoua decided to move to Sefrou to live with relatives to continue her studies so that she could, in the future, start a small business project running a teleboutique or a cyber café. She began to take French and English classes as well as study computer science and handicrafts such as knitting and embroidery. She also now regularly visits and networks with Camp GLOW facilitators who work as artisans in Sefrou taking advantage of local workshops and trainings to improve her job skills.

Najoua is just one of many examples of participants who are on their way to breaking the cycle of dependency.  Her bold move and that of many others has the potential to save the world.  You may ask how that could be.  How could Najoua's plans, for instance, to continue her studies have such an impact? When asked this question, I point to the work of Nobel Prize winning economist Amartya Sen who in his book titled Development as Freedom said that increasing the literacy of women has the effect of reducing infant mortality, reducing the overall number of childbirths, increasing life expectancy, improving the quality of life, expanding the overall economy, and creating a more representative democracy.  In a country where nearly 60% of the female population is illiterate, the need is immeasurable.  Camp GLOW coordinators and camp counselors are full believers that young rural women given the information and support will seek out opportunities that will improve their livelihood, that of their family, and that of their entire community.

So how can you help?  I and a number of Peace Corps volunteers are fundraising on behalf of the association for this year's Camp GLOW.  The camp is set to take place July 25-31.  Approximately 50 campers coming from some of the most remote villages from the Middle Atlas Mountains will gather in Temara near Morocco's capital of Rabat.  Funding for the camp is coming from multiple sources.  AIDS awareness funds, donations from partner organizations, and in-kind gifts will reduce the costs of the camp, but individual donations from you are key in making this camp possible.

Fortunately, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF), a 501(c)(3) organization founded by former Peace Corps volunteers that invests in the growth of small communities across Morocco, has offered to process and transfer all donations from U.S. donors to Morocco free-of-charge.

To donate online, simply click: http://www.highatlasfoundation.org/donate (Go to "make secure donation" in the middle).  Afterwards, VERY IMPORTANT, please send a quick email to haf@highatlasfoundation.org to let them know that your donation is for Camp GLOW.  HAF is a U.S. 501c3 nonprofit organization and will send receipts for tax purposes to all donors.

Given that HAF is donating their time in processing donations for us, I strongly urge you to use the online option.  I donated online and found the process to be super easy.  Any size donation is welcomed.  Just to give you an idea of how far your dollar can go in Morocco, an $85 donation covers nearly all expenses for one young woman for the entire week-long camp.

If you would like to contribute via snail mail, you can do so by making your check out to "High Atlas Foundation" and indicate in the check memo that it is for Camp GLOW (It is extremely important to make note of that on the check so as not to confuse your donation for Camp GLOW with a donation to the High Atlas Foundation)

Please mail your check to:

High Atlas Foundation
Park West Station
PO Box 21081
New York, NY 10025

Because this is a volunteer-run camp from both Peace Corps volunteers and the Golden Buttons Association, 100% of all donations go straight to program expenses.  There is no overhead whatsoever.

I want to thank you for taking the time to follow my blog and for supporting me throughout my Peace Corps experience.  I hope I can count on your support once again.  

I also want to thank everyone who joined the Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Morocco Cause on Facebook.  If you have yet to join, I invite you to do so: http://www.causes.com/causes/461569.  Thank you in advance for your donation.  The HAF is planning on sending us an update on June 1st of our total donations.  If you can, please donate by then.

Thank you very much for helping me, my fellow Peace Corps volunteers, and our Moroccan friends save the world.