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