For 13 year-old Jamie, Moorelands Wilderness Camp is a refuge. Responsible for his two younger siblings after school every day, as well as many evenings and weekends, Jamie carries a big load. He gets dinner started every night and makes sure his little brother and sister do their homework. His Mom works shifts and has come to depend on Jamie's help. It's not easy raising three kids on your own - especially when your ex-husband misses so many child support payments. At Moorelands Jamie can concentrate on just being a kid - he can play games, swim, canoe, shoot hoops, be with kids his own age and have fun.
Yet built into all this fun are deeper skills, those necessary for life success such as communication, perseverance, listening, problem-solving and teamwork. At camp, children don't just learn how to swim, they learn "to float in a sea of adversity", as well-known educator and community leader Zanana Akande eloquently put it at our Annual General Meeting last year. "They learn how to lead and whom to follow."