School & Community News

Peace Corps Tonga Project!! Help Needed.

I am currently a Peace Corps volunteer in the Kingdom of Tonga and I am working on a big project called CAMP GLOW! Its going to be a wonderful opportunity for young women on my island. But I need help!

What is Camp Glow you may ask?
It's a weeklong sleep-away camp run by Peace Corps Volunteers and the Tongan Ministry of Training, Employment, Youth and Sports designed to empower its participants by:

1.) Advocating a healthy lifestyle;
2.) Providing vital information on sensitive topics;
3.) Teaching leadership and team-building skills;
4.) Encouraging critical thinking and logical decision-making;
5.) Building a network of motivated girls and women;
6.) And fostering self-confidence and creative expression through a fun, safe, judgment-free environment.

This nationwide project is comprised of six camps held in four island groups. There will be four Girls’ Camps that focus on ninth graders who have displayed academic excellence and leadership potential, and two Young Women’s Camps to benefit school-leavers between the ages of 18 and 21.
The Girls’ Camps will reach a total of 200 girls and will cover diverse topics including goal setting, computer literacy, public speaking, conflict resolution, sexual health, the rights of women and children, sexual harassment and domestic abuse, nutrition, food sanitation, first aid, and environmental responsibility.
The Young Women’s camps will target a total of 35 youth who are at the highest risk of unplanned pregnancy, early marriage, and financial dependency. They will cover the same topics as the Girls’ Camps, but with a special focus on gaining employment and managing an income while living a healthy lifestyle. Additional sessions for the Young Women’s Camp will include CV and resume writing, interviewing skills, time and money management, career planning, and microfinance.

This a huge project and we are looking for funding.I am looking for businesses or organizations who may be interested in helpin to fund a project like this.Any help would be appreciated! Thanks

We do have a way to donate online:
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.donatenow&

Make sure to donate to Camp Glow 'Eua under the name Phillips S.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. Any help would be great, and Im sorry if I sent this email to the wrong place.

Thanks again,
Ashley Smarker
Peace Corps Tonga-Group 74