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 In a rural area two hours north of Johannesburg, South Africa, a massive camp-fire is roaring, warming the bodies of 150 South Africans against a cool spring night in late September. The fire lights their faces as they sway back and forth, singing. Most of those gathered range in age from 11 to 17, but there are older men and women scattered among them, mostly in the front, leading the songs or the dances that sometimes accompany the music. There is no other noise in the night, just the sound of these 150 voices raised together, singing the same words over and over again, so that the words become a rhythmic chant.
Aye, Sizanani goes on,
Sizanani goes on,
Sizanani goes-oes-oes on.
By Elizabeth Chiles Shelburne – Amherst College '01
Photos (c) 2009 Marc Altman
Read the Whole Article from Amherst Magazine Winter 2010
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 I recently spent 2 1/2 weeks volunteering at CampSizanani, a camp for children affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa.
The word "sizanani" means "help each other" in Zulu (one of the 11 official languages in South Africa!), and that is what the camp is all about.
I think that is also what the youth of South Africa are all about. Everyone helps each other. Their life situations are overwhelmed with disease, poverty, abuse, death — and yet they don't give up. They realize the situation they are in and also realize that unless they help each other, help most likely won't come.
So, they wake up every morning and put their own needs aside to help their neighbors, their parents, their siblings, and the people of South Africa. The campers were no different. The kids were like one giant family of 150 brothers and sisters. They were constantly sacrificing of themselves to bring comfort to their newfound brothers and sisters, and together, they became a mighty force, willing and able to change South Africa.
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The Pearse Family's Excellent South African Adventure |
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The Pearse Family's Excellent South African Adventure exceeded all of our expectations. It is hard to put into words the emotions we experienced, the connections we made, and the sadness we felt upon our departure. The trip has impacted us greatly and we truly see the world through different eyes now that we have come to love the people we met there. From the owners of the Bed & Breakfast that we regarded as our "home away from home" to all the amazing campers who crawled into our hearts and still hold a place there - we have so many new friends on the other side of the world.
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Letter From Former Counselor Mino Lora |
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Former counselor Mino Lora of New York wrote the following letter to friends and family following her return from September 2006 camp. She graciously allowed us to post it. Thank you Mino!
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Two Poems Written at the June 2007 Camp Sizanani Session |
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Below are two poems written at the June 2007 Camp Sizanani Session. The first is from a camper, the second is from a Vochelli (camp counselor)
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