For many of us, camp was where we first heard stories around a bonfire, learned to paddle a canoe, and got our first taste of independence. When avid camp enthusiast Philip Lilienthal ’65 founded Global Camps Africa in 2003, he took all of the best things about the camp experience and put them to work helping children in South Africa get a second chance in life.

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They held bake sales, got commissions for their artwork, organized loose-change drives, walked dogs, held read-athons or enlisted sponsors for sports activities. By the end of their two-month fundraising efforts, a group of Westchester County children, ages 9 to 14, had raised about $2,600 to send South African children of their ages to camp.

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Nearly 100 supporters of Global Camps Africa celebrated the success of Camp Sizanani at a fundraising reception in Reston, Virginia on April 14. Founder Phil Lilienthal reported on the recently completed 30th camp. He noted that more than 3,700 HIV/AIDS-affected boys and girls in South Africa have been served at the camp since 2004.

Several GCA Board members were in early for the meeting on Wednesday. About 75 people came together to enjoy South African wine, heavy hors d'oeuvres from A Taste of the World in Herndon, and hear from Board Chair Kohann Williams, ex-counselor Tala Hooban, and Phil.

We had a continuing show of Marc Altman's wonderful still shots from the December camp.

There were a lot of questions, good will, and enthusiasm. We even sold some Zulu bracelets and camp tee-shirts. The total raised was over $5,000.

If anyone wants to have a Global Camps Africa party, I would be happy to come. We want to spread the word, raise some money, and have fun.

The following is an accounting by Owen Langbart, owner and director of Merrick Woods Country Day Camp, of his recent volunteer trip to South Africa.

We met in the parking lot of the Baragwanath Hospital, the world's largest hospital, receiving 1,000 AIDS patients each day. There I met five other North American volunteers and 40 South Africans who would become my fellow camp counselors. On the two-hour bus ride to the camp, I was immersed in tribal songs (Zulu and Sotho), dancing and clapping, and offered some kind of South African food spread onto white bread (still not sure what it was).
That was the start of my experience with Camp Sizanani, a camp in South Africa that runs programs for children whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS.

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