The 4-H Day Camp Experience

Wow, what an experience this has been.  We have met so many wonderful teens and kids.  Some of them could speak a little English but a lot of them could not speak any English.  This didn’t stop the 4-H teens from communicating and helping 53 Dominican kids enjoy their two days at our 4-H day camp.  The first full day here was spent meeting the Dominican teens and preparing everything for the two days of Day Camp.  The Dominican kids bonded with the 4-H kids like they have known each other all their lives.   

 

53 Dominican campers + 14 American + 8 Dominican teens
+ 7 adults = one great 4-H Day Camp!

 The first day of Day Camp was spent tie-dying shirts, making different crafts, playing games, touring a bee farm and a worm compost farm, and getting ready for an afternoon of water sports, which the kids absolutely loved.  I am not so sure Cody Ross and I felt the same way after filling all those water balloons. 

The second day of Day Camp was even better.  The communication gap was a lot easier.  The Dominican kids learned a lot of English words and the 4-H counselors learned a lot of Spanish words, which made it a lot easier to communicate. 



Cody Ross and Kim Ryman fill water balloons

We also completed the crafts that we started on the first day and did a couple of extra ones day as well.  A huge thanks to our Virginia friends for donating so much stuff that we were able to do with the Dominican kids. 



The Iguana Preserve

We also toured an Iguana preserve as well as a ranch where we got to see a lot of the same animals that we have back home.  The afternoon was spent at the beach, where the Dominican kids had a blast!!!!  They were able to play with the counselors in the water and have a great time.  It was sad to see them go home at the end of the day but it was very rewarding see what an awesome time they had at Day Camp.

Campers from Domingo Maiz - We paid for their transportation and registration fee
so that they could participate in the 4-H Day Camp.  Kayla, from the Peace Corps, has been working with them.

I am looking forward to tomorrow.  We will be going into Domingo Maiz for a service project of trash pickup along the streets of the village.  We will also be having lunch in a small restaurant in the village.

Contributed by Kim Ryman, Shenandoah County