Dashain Camp 2017
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
By Miriam Saadati, Dashain Camp Director
Every year I come back to Kopila Valley, I strive to make Dashain Camp better than the previous year. This year our Assistant Camp Director, Issy Fleur, and I started planning 6 months in advance and pushed the limits with implementing many new ideas. I am delighted to now get to say our hard work paid off.
This year class sign-ups were completely changed, giving the children a one hour "Sign In" window before camp started. It was perfectly located outside of the school so children playing in the new playground could see what we were doing and ask if they could join in the fun. It made me so happy to see the lines of children ready to pick their classes, many of whom had never attended camp before.
Grades 7-9 got to take Workshops and Classes on Event Planning, Debate, Peer Counseling & Conflict Mediation, and Soccer. Grades 1-6 got to rotate through taking different classes like Gymnastics, Comic Book Character Design & Illustration, Meditation, Hiking & Outdoor Education, Drama, Soccer, Art, and Jewelry Making. This year we were excited to have our very own camp photographer. Additionally, Deepa, a returning student volunteer, came back as our Nepali Assistant Camp Director for the second year in a row! Our volunteers every year have been fantastic, but this year's team really redefined the word. They were beyond fantastic, and we could see it in the excitement of the children as they arrived to camp every day.
In addition to the classes for grades 1-9, we brought in dedicated Nursery & Kindergarten volunteers to teach Biodanza and Arts & Crafts with our Kopila Valley School Nursery & Kindergarten Nepali teachers. My heart felt like it was bursting at the seams every time I walked into their room. To see the pure joy on the children's faces as they danced or made crafts like rain sticks and slime was truly incredible.
To quote one of our Kopila friends who came by on multiple occasions, "Guys, you should all be very proud of what you have achieved for the kids at the camp. The energy level could have powered a lot of lights and the kids were having so much fun...". I could not agree more. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, attended, donated, and supported us for this year's Dashain Camp. We are so grateful to have you as a part of our family.
With Love,
Miriam Saadati
Camp Director