Boys Leadership Camp

This past weekend the volunteers in Ancash put on an overnight boys leadership camp in Huascaran National Park. We were each allowed to bring two boys from our site and unfortunately, the boys I were going to bring “slept in” and missed the early morning bus to Huaraz with me and so couldn't go to the camp. I was really disappointed because the camp would have been such a great experience for them and if I would have known they were going to flake out then I would have chosen to bring other boys. But having people not show up at the last minute or flake out on your is a pretty common thing that happens with Peruvians but I was still really sad and upset that they didn't show up since I had talked to them so much about it for several months and really thought they were going to come. I went to the camp to help out anyway even though I didn't end up bringing boys and I still had a really fun time.

We taught the boys about things such as: caring for the environment, teaching how to make compost from scratch, teaching different career paths by bringing in a panel of professionals, machismo and how to respect women, self-esteem, leadership, sexual education, etc. On the last day of the camp we took them for a half-day hike to a nearby lagoon. The boys all had a blast and learned a lot and us volunteers also had a really great time :)

Showing the boys the tree farm

Teaching the boys how to make compost

Compost!

The view from our campsite. The views in Ancash are always amazing :)

Arriving to the lagoon after the hike, the water was so clear!

The end of the hike. 

Having a closing discussion at the lagoon at the end of the hike. The hike was the last activity we did at the camp. 

Group photo with the boys and volunteers at the end of the hike :)

Our last group pic...a "silly" pic :)