Summer Camps

Children attending Myanmar schools typically enjoy their summer holiday during March to May. This year, children from the five My Place homes in Yangon gathered in a camp during April 17 to 19, and a one-month program was organized from April 21 to May 24 for children from Sparrows and Lilies Home and Sinai House in Mae Sot.

During the three-day camp in Yangon, the children renewed old friendships and made new ones through playing and learning together. Each day started and ended with a great time of singing and worship. Morning sessions focused on character development activities through which the children learnt about respect, integrity, gratitude, cooperation, etc., while preschoolers engaged in games and craftwork. In the afternoon, the children joined activities of their own choice, including drama, music lessons, movie-making, craftwork, and sports. The climax came on the last day with the making of a community banner with everyone’s handprints on, ending with mutual expressions of appreciation as well as reflections on solidarity.

For our children from the garbage dump in Mae Sot, the one-month camp was probably the most intensive out-of-school educational

program that they have ever experienced. There were daily English and music lessons, complemented by a lot of singing and games as well as computer lessons. Spiritual nurturing was also emphasized through the training provided by Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Sweating, laughing, learning, sharing, caring…, these were what we saw a lot in the summer camps.