Camp Cockpit Country
By Robert McCarthy, STEA Peace Corps Volunteer and piggy-backer extraordinaire
Thirty-Five students from Kingston's St Peter and Paul Prep school arrived at Stewie's farm in Spring Garden at 6:30 in the evening, prime mosquito time. As camp coordinator Donovan Haughton began the introduction and welcome, swarms of blood sucking insects descended on the group from Town. No spray had been administered, and the children soon began to squirm. A parent finally cut Mr. Haughton short exclaiming "You seem to have this all very well organized and I'm sure you're prepared, but these kids are being eaten alive. We need to get them away from these mosquitoes!" And that was the way it began. These kids showed up to the country where upon arrival they were immediately demolished by blood hungry bugs, set up their beds in tents outside amidst coffee trees, and were then served a plate of food which none of them liked, complaining the entire time. Lights out was 10:00 pm but the screaming didn't stop 'til sometime after midnight.
Although the camp may have gotten off to a rocky start, the students and teachers showed tremendous determination, and even a few smiles were detected in the morning. After a morning bird watching walk and some games of dandy shandy, the smiles started to spread like a vector-borne disease. Around 10:00, the group was split in two with the first group heading to Printed circuit cave for exploration and the second walking along Burnt Hill Road for an introduction to medicinal herbs. Near noon the groups switched activities so that all the campers could experience both the cave and hiking. We then returned to Stewie's farm where a pot of brown stew chicken was waiting, ready to be gobbled up. The campers feasted on brown stew, yam, dumpling, and rice and then a nap time or quiet time was planned for in the itinerary. The campers had other ideas. Skipping rope occupied them for some time until tug-of-war replaced that. Then there was a treasure hunt that had the kids tracking down clues hidden all over the farm with the winners taking home a bag of sweeties. Following that the campers began dividing themselves into groups to prepare for the evening's entertainment. The presentation/talent show included jokes, singing, and dancing displaying all the creative talents these young minds of Jamaica possess. A bonfire with roasted marshmallows closed out the evening and finally they went to bed and quickly went to sleep.
Sunday was bitter sweet. It was truly magical the way these children had changed. Friday evening when they arrived none wanted to stay, all were complaining, and everyone wanted to go home to their air conditioning. But Sunday, campers were asking for counselors' phone numbers and email addresses, sporadic games of dandy shandy broke out accompanied by piggy back rides and, it seemed, no one wanted to leave. There was an evident reluctance in the way they packed their things and they all moved incredibly slow, dragging their feet. There was a short and sweet closing ceremony complete with certificates for all the campers, whose faces shone bright with a clear sense of accomplishment. Everyone involved from campers to teachers, cooks to counselors felt a profound sense of satisfaction with the weekend. I firmly believe that when these young leaders of Jamaica are confronted with issues involving protection or conservation of the environment they will remember this camp and throw their weight behind the environmental cause.