New Video!!

There is a new video made by  Ena Kurtagic Granulo online. Enjoy !!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=728314437238314&set=vb.144970808906016&type=2&theater

PS Don't forget to put it in HD ;)

Video with the "Happy"-Song

The videos are ready!!

Here you can find the video.
There is also a "backstage" video. Enjoy!

Links to pictures

Overview

http://sermitsiaq.ag/fantastiske-billeder-sommercamp-i-qaanaaq

http://sermitsiaq.ag/nyt-galleri-sommercampen-i-qaanaaq-gaar-taet-boern

http://sermitsiaq.ag/se-flere-dejlige-billeder-sommercampen-i-qaanaaq

http://sermitsiaq.ag/billedgalleri-flere-oejeblikke-sommercamp-i-qaanaaq

http://sermitsiaq.ag/billedgalleri-flere-pletskud-sommercamp-i-qaanaaq

http://sermitsiaq.ag/nyt-galleri-sommercampen-i-qaanaaq-gaar-taet-boern

http://sermitsiaq.ag/sidste-billeder-sommercampen-i-qaanaaq

Week 4

Week 4

Last week in Qaanaq and saying goodbye

This week has been quite emotionnal for the volunteers for we all new that the time to say goodbye to the children was getting closer and closer. Amazing friendship were formed with both the kids and the villagers, and there were some tears as goodbyes started to happen. Stories were shared that made the volunteers proud of the month of work they put in, and led to hopes that the children will remember this camp and be inspired to go out into the world and explore!

In the gym

The children who had been doing dance with Josphine and Sarah, spent a few mornings rehearsing a dance that they were going to perform on Saturday in front of the whole town. The teenagers kept up their bootcamp training and boxing with Dominique and Bella. The late mornings were spent practicing Greek dancing with Emily and Ellen in order to also present those dances on Saturday. The children were so proud to prepare such a show and worked really hard in getting all of the steps right. The afternoon were spent either playing volleyball or soccer on the outdoor field. More young adults and teenagers joined for the volleyball and the outdoor games this week. It has been really nice for the volunteers to also get to know the young adults for most of them spoke good English and were able to exchange on their culture and traditions but also translate for the youngers who wanted to have conversations with us.

In the school

The kids got to try a few new worshops this week. Soap making, cooking, glass painting, salt dyeing, and papier maché were the novelties at the camp. For the papier maché workshop, the ladies who work at the daycare came to help the volunteers. It was a nice cooperation and a great chance to get to talk with grown ups.

As the camp was coming to an end, it was clear that the kids were well settled into their favorite workshops. They all seemed to have a routine to which they stuck to on much of the days. It was nice for the volunteers to see the kids evolve and keep a high interest in the workshop that they ran.

The last activity of the camp was a scavenger hunt around Qaanaaq with a list of things that teams of the children had to find and take photographs of. Creativity was encouraged so the task to find ”a fish” could be completed by taking a picture of a fish, drawing one, or making one out of paper! The teams had a wonderful mix of teens and younger kids which meant that the entire game was fun for everyone!

The Saturday Party

Gathering at the gymnasium, the community of Qaanaaq offered the volunteers unique and wonderful performances as a series of ”thank yous” for the camp. In traditional North Greenlandic garb, a choir of men and women sang three beautiful songs and shared a drum dance duet between a man and woman. Another treat was a Tae Kwan Do demonstration with katas and forms that really amazed the crowd. The camp volunteers made a video of pictures taken from the weeks of camp, and some of the pictures drew laughter and sighs from the community members present.

The principal of the school made a lovely speech and gave presents of pictures of the children to the volunteers, and another local leader gave everyone a souvenir with the old symbol of Thule and the Qaanaaq Commune! Games were played including a traditional Inuit game called ”airplane” where three men carried another person by their arms as far as possible, a game that will be contested in the next Arctic Games competition!

written by Bella 

Week 3

Getting to know the children and the villagers better

Saturday

Last Saturday, the villagers organized a dance party for us volunteers. They first treated us to some Greenlanding music performed by 3 young people in traditonnal costumes. It was quite exciting for us to see the costumes and hear the drumming and the signing for the first time. The traditionnal signing was followed by a band playing Americand and Greenlandic music. Greenlandic Polka was the dance of the night and we enjoyed learning the steps and twirling around with the villagers. Some of us managed the steps better than others, but all of us had fun trying it.

In the Gym

Activities continued to be held everyday at the gym. Most mornings started with a dance session and a bootcamp. On two occassions, we started the day with a boxing lesson. A few mornings and afternoons were also spent rehearsing and filming a video to the song Happy. The kids and the volunteers learned a choreography and some lyrics for the project and had fun filming little snippets for the video project.

There also have been two small hikes organized for the children this week. A few volunteers took the children to a small glacier and a river. While on the hike, the kids and the volunteers enjoyed picking berries and plants to eat along the way. There was also whale carcasses and musk fur for the volunteer to see for the first time near the river. The hikes have been a nice bonding time with the children for the ratio of children versus volunteers was smaller and we were really able to enjoy quality time together.

In the school

There were a lot of fun workshops again this past week at the school including Lego building, hama beads, pom-pom construction, pet rock painting, drama, music, dancing, and nail polish and charms. The camp also received delivery of a slackline for balance and acrobatics, and it was set up both inside and outside the building at various times during the week along with stilts and other acrobatic equipment.

Snacktime in the school has become the social center of the camp, and it's been fun to see all everyone gathered together in one place. The kids continue to be very creative during the crafts classes and have made some wonderful art to take home! 

written by Bella

http://sermitsiaq.ag/billedgalleri-flere-pletskud-sommercamp-i-qaanaaq 

Week 2

Week 2

Getting to know the children

The beginning of Camp Q

The volunteers and I were really looking forward to meeting all the children and the young people in the village. When Monday came, we were both quite excited and nervous. Most of us were a bit worried about the language barriers and the cultural differences interfering with the participation, but our fears were soon put to rest. The younsters are so open minded and geniuses at communicationg with body language. Everyday, the kids teach us a few words in Greenlandic and in return we teach them a few in English. Remembering names has been a challenge and often the source of giggles for both parts but we are trying really hard!

The activities

All weeks activities were held from noon to 6 o'clock in the gym, at the school and outside for the children to enjoy. Children from the age of 5 months old to 18 years of age have been attending every day. Young adults were also starting to join by mid week.

In the gym

In the gym we started every morning with a session of both: bootcamp and dancing. Quite a good number of young girls have been enjoying the dance class every morning while more and more teenagers and young adults have been attending the bootcamp.

The late mornings were often spent twirling, jumping, flipping and bouncing around on the gymnastic apparels. Some kids gladly took part in the acrobatics while others wathed in complete awe and admiration. I was really impressed with what some of the older kids could do with a trampoline and a mat. There is a lot of talent in Qaanaaq!

In the afternnoons, the gym was split into two sections, offering free play or organized games on one side and basketball on the other side. I am quite impressed with the children for they were all playing together, taking care of each other no matter the age. The teenagers were welcoming the younger kids in their games and vice versa. One could really see the strong sense of community that these kids have, it was like they were all brothers and sisters looking out for one another.

In the school

In the school different workshops such as legos, painting, Origami, Greek and Finnish dancing, Hama beads and cooking were offered. There were also many music and drama activities as well as circle games with musical instruments. Soap making and playing with fimo made an appearance too. The kids, no matter what age, wanted to try a little bit of everything! They work together and guide each other, older and younger ones, whether they are learning traditional dances or playing with legos or some other activity. 

written by Bella

(pictures in http://sermitsiaq.ag/nyt-galleri-sommercampen-i-qaanaaq-gaar-taet-boern)

 

Week 1 of Camp Q

Week 1 of Camp Q

Discovering Greenland and meeting its people

Arriving in Greenland

On Wednesday the 16th, the village of Qaanaaq welcomed 20 volunteers from all around the world. Needless to say that all of them were taken away with the breathtaking views and the peacefulness of Greenland. All of us spent countless nights looking at the glaciers, the icebergs and the sky which all seemed to be painting a different picture for us to witness every night. Camera on hand, we have been walking the streets and the beach each day in search of a photo opportunity, a cute puppy to cuddle or people to meet. Qaanaaq has a different pace from backhome which we have all been enjoying immensly. It has been nice to leave the cell phones, the internet, the crowded quick paced cities behind in order to enjoy all that nature and this small community has to offer us. Our moto is to take it day by day, what a nice refreshing change.

Cultural night

On Saturday the 19th, the volunteers finally met the villagers. Tables were laid in the gym in order to accommodate stations from each country participating in this project. Each volunteer had prepared a flag, some pictures or informations on their home country as well as some food samples for the villagers to enjoy. The night began with some words from camp leader Bebbie followed by a dance performed by a Swedish and Danish volunteer (Sarah and Josephine). Then, a volunteer from Greece (Emily) lead us into som Greek traditionnal dancing. Following that, the villagers were welcome to float from table to table to discover a little bit about the countries represented and their ambassadors. Present were Ellen from Finland, Laurie and Tracy from France, France-Emmanuel from Belgium, Orkan and Emre from Turkey, Chris from America, Ena from Italy, Isabelle from Canada, Adriana from Spain, Sarah from Denmark, Josephine from Sweden, Shien from Taiwan, Emily from Greece, Dominique from Germany. Also present were the master minds behind the whole project; camp leaders,Nadja and Gunver from Denmark. Unfortunately, Jens from Greenland, our fourth leader, had to miss out on all the fun for he had been stuck in Illulusat for nearly a weak making daily attemps to reach the camp, but in vain never succeeding because of weather. The volunteers kept hearing about Jens but he would never materialise. We were all starting to think that he was a figment of Gunver's imagination. Surprise weren't we all to see a new face in the living room on Sunday morning, the legendary Jens had finally arrived in Qaanaaq.

Hiking to the Glacier

On Sunday the 20th, a local and a policeman took us on a hike to a nearby glacier. All of us were really excited to go explore the surroundings. We were thrilled about the idea of taking in some new scenery, getting new pictures opportunities and drinking water from the galcier. The group was tossed between wanting to come across a polar bear or not. There were the ones (like me) who made sure they stuck close to the gunmen and the ones who kept an eye out, camera ready in hopes of spotting the great animal. The whole trip was quite scenic and we all came home with both our heads and cameras full of beautiful panoramas. 

written by Bella

(Newspaper article with pictures: http://sermitsiaq.ag/fantastiske-billeder-sommercamp-i-qaanaaq and )