5/23/2018 GLOW Gazette June/July 2016

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GLOW Gazette Issue 22 (June/July 2016) View  this  email  in  your

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Feeling the GLOW
 
I just returned home from this year's Camp GLOW, and I must say that it was the best week I've had in
Macedonia so far. It was a week full of song, dance, stories, laughter, and tears. All of this was made
possible not only by the staff, who have put in months of preparation to make it all happen, but also the
campers, who came with open hearts and minds, willing to share and hungry for growth and
enlightenment.

There were two things that touched me the most at camp. The first one was everyone's willingness to go
along with the program, try new things, and contribute their invaluable opinions on difficult issues. I saw
both campers and staff transform over the course of the week, growing more comfortable in their own skin
and more readily reaching out to and supporting others.

The second thing that touched me was the collective loving energy that our group cultivated. On our last
morning, as we all sang our group chants for the very last time, I looked out into the crowd and laughed to
myself as I saw one camper singing all of the cheerful songs with sorrowful tears in her eyes. Then, I
laughed once more when I realized that I was doing the exact same thing. All of the groups knew each
other's songs by then and were singing along to all of them. We were one. The whole scene was happy, sad,
and just beautiful all at the same time.

Now that we venture back into our everyday lives, remember that you will always have that GLOW in you.
The friendships that you made last week will last as long as you let them. We all shared something special,
and it is to be celebrated and continued on in our service to our community, friendships with each
other,  and love and respect for ourselves.

GLOW Love, 

Coco Shin 
GLOW Communications Coordinator
 

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Camp GLOW 2016 welcomed the Ambassador and his wife to camp this year.

Our GLOW Stories

Each camper and staff member has their own experience at Camp
GLOW. We invited everyone to share some of their thoughts and stories
about their time at camp.
 
By going to classes, we went in to a more empathic, healthier, more objective,
improved and lighter future life. 
 
By  sharing  food,  clothes,  laughter,  jokes,  experience,  rooms,  knowledge  and
secrets,  we  become  generous,  rich,  responsible,  productive,  ambitious  and
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team workers. 
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By singing and dancing, we jumped in a happier and more relaxed tomorrow. 
 
By playing games, we connected for a lifetime and learned that is better to lose
a game than a friend. 
 
By  sitting  around  the  camp  fire,  the  flame  and  the  night  stars  made  our  souls
brighter and clearer. 
 
By sleeping in the woods in tents we recognized that dealing with scars is much
easier when it's shared. 
 
By attending Camp GLOW, we started GLOWING and we'll never stop because
we are Girls and we Lead Our World. 
 
­Sanja A., Camper 
 
 
In  the  week  of  Cam  GLOW  I  did  not  change  completely,  but  I  changed  some
things I wanted to and didn't know how. Some of the classes helped me with a
particular decision I had to make at this moment in my life, and also there was a
person I talked to who made the decision much easier. I met a lot of friends of
course,  but  I  made  some  really  healthy  relationships  too.  I  have  people  I  can
talk  to  at  any  time  and  the  best  part  is  I  can  go  and  visit  any  of  them  in  their
towns. ^^ 
 
­Anastasija B., Camper 
 
 
My highlight at GLOW was singing around the campfire and feeling united with
all the girls. :))) 
 
Maja K., Camper 
 
 
One  evening  for  Community  time,  we  went  to  the  campfire  with  my  group.  It
was the second or the third night. There we shared our stories and I think that's
when we bonded the most. From that moment on, we actually felt like sisters.
The sound of the flicker of the fire mixed with that energy that we shared is a
moment that I will never forget. 
 
­Bojana B., Camper 
 
 
Some  would've  thought  that  the  year  when  I  was  a  camper  at  GLOW  (2015)
was  the  best  year,  but  actually  this  year  was  by  far  the  best,  no  doubt.  Being
able  to  be  part  of  the  Staff,  helping  out  and  the  best  part  was  having  the
opportunity  to  watch  the  girls  grow  and  evolve.  Watching  them  open  up,  gain
confidence  and  making  friendships  that  that  I  know  would  last  forever  is  an
amazing experience and a beautiful thing to witness. 
 
­Sara A., CIT 
 
 
One of our campers this year told me as she was leaving that her friends had
encouraged  her  to  apply.  They  told  her  it  had  changed  their  lives.  It  would
change hers. 
 
She was skeptical. She didn't know how that could happen in only seven days.
She  applied  anyway.  And  just  before  she  gave  me  one  more  hug  goodbye
Saturday, she said her friends had been right. Camp changed her life. 
 
This is the story of so many of our campers. 
 
As  a  coordinator,  I  know  the  efforts  and  time  it  takes  to  plan  out  those  seven
days, from classes to meal times to when we'll shape our campers into a giant
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heart  for  a  photo.  Every  decision  we  make  is  based  on  how  to  make  those
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seven days the best seven days of our year. The one thing we can't plan for is RSS
the GLOW magic we feel at camp. Our campers and staff supply that. 
 
For all the planning, all the scheduling, all the little details, it is our campers and
our  former  campers  ­who  now  act  as  CITs  and  Counselors  and  serve  on  the
leadership team ­ who truly make camp special. It is the willingness of campers
to scream out favorite camp songs even though it's pouring rain. It's the extra
effort  of  Counselors  to  love  and  nurture  campers  missing  home.  It's  the  kind
words that fill our wall of envelopes and the air at camp. 
 
Being  a  part  of  this  GLOW  family  has  been  the  best  part  of  my  time  in
Macedonia. And like I have told our campers, our 80 babies, it doesn't end with
camp. The GLOW family will always be there. I'm encouraged by that and can't
wait to see what it is store for not only the intelligent, driven, and courageous
campers, but also for the compassionate, committed, and inspiring staff. Keep
GLOWing ladies. 
 
Rebekah B., Coordinator 
 
 
Writing a few words about your week sounds easy enough, but the feelings that
I  experienced  during  camp  are  impossible  to  describe.  My  third  year  at  camp
was  unsurprisingly  amazing  and  unforgettable,  but  in  a  way  that  I  hadn't
imagined  possible.  In  my  personal  opinion,  life  is  dictated  by  a  series  of
coincidences, but by the end of camp, it felt like we all found our purpose ­ to
be a vital part of something much greater than us. Being able to witness girls
overcoming  their  insecurities  and  fears  while  growing  into  the  brave,  strong
young  women  they  hadn't  realized  they  were  before  is  an  experience  that
would  undoubtedly  impact  your  life  in  the  most  beautiful  way  possible.  The
crazy  amounts  of  kindness,  unconditional  love  and  deep  emotional  bonds
create  an  environment  in  which  you  can't  help  but  feel  safe  and  secured.
GLOW  is  the  reason  that  I  am  proud  of  who  I  am  today,  and  I  am  a  hundred
percent sure that every person lucky enough to be a part of Camp GLOW 2016
would say the same. 
 
Dijana J., Counselor

She GLOWs:  
 
Gloria Efremova   Camp GLOW

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by Allison Smith 
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Hearing from you, the campers
of GLOW 
 
Our hearts swelled while reading the
comments in the camper feedback
sheets. Here are some of the
highlights: 
 
At camp I learned to be more open­
minded, more confident, a better
English speaker, a better person, a
leader... 
 
My favorite class was Feminism and
Masculinity because I finally
understood how males and females
are judged by society and we are the
ones who need to do everything to stop
that. 
 
My favorite elective was Recycled Art
because I found myself and it was
really relaxing for us. 
 
At camp I learned to be a leader, a
“I never thought that I would be able to change myself in one team player, more self­confident, open
week but I did.” ~Glorija Efremova minded, emotionally stable, and much
more. 
Name: Glorija Efremova  
At camp I learned to be a leader and to
be satisfied with myself and to accept
Location: Kratovo
myself the way I am. 
 
Glorija, a shy girl at heart, is not your average teenage girl. A book My favorite class was Leadership
worm determined to do her best scholastically was often the victim because I got to learn many new things
of consistent bullying from her peers. Naturally, Glorija turned about global leaders and was in which
inward realizing her underlying passion for art and acceptance. As we can all make a change in the world. 
an avid sketch artist she often participated in drawing  
competitions and often won or was recognized as runner up. But I wouldn't change anything about camp
because the activities that we had at
awards and recognition aside the desire to emulate the strong
camp will definitely stay and be the
female figures she idolized as a child Glorija often felt desperate
highlight of my summer and I couldn't
for an opportunity to gain the self-confidence she needed to be be more grateful for being accepted. 
the leader she always wanted to be.  
At camp I learned to be understanding,
GLOW Camp was that solution. Glorija waited two years to be independent, more self­confident,
able to apply as a GLOW camper because she was too young to polite, punctual, and friendly.
apply when she first discovered the camps existence. Having
been selected on her first application attempt –rare in itself-she
recalls her experience as “life changing” and credits not Kind Words 
 
only GLOW Camp for helping shape her into “a confident and
optimistic person”, but the entire staff of the camp as well. As one
of the younger campers in attendance Glorija was greatly
impacted by the challenging yet rewarding camp activities and
relishes having had the ability to be both vulnerable
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and empathetic to others. Inspired by her experiences Glorija has

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gone on to initiate collaborative projects within her community that
focus on inclusion and awareness of diversity within Macedonia.

Glorija Efremova was referred by United States Peace Corps

Volunteer, Allison Meredith Smith. We salute you and your
passion for art, scholastics, and leadership Glorija! Keep being the
change you wish to see in the World and by default inspiring other
girls to follow in your footsteps!
 
For more information about how to create your own GLOW Club  
and to locate a club near This year we had a kind words wall set up
you, email clubs.macedonia@gmail.com. in the dining room. Each camper and staff
member had an envelope with their name
  on it and everyone at camp was welcome
to write a kind note to them and place it in
their  envelope.  At  the  end  of  camp,  the
envelopes  were  sealed  and  campers
could  read  their  kind  words  for  the  first
time on the way home. Here are some of
our campers' favorite kind words. 
 
Just  pretend  you  are  reading  something
very emotional. 
Ps.I love you.  
 
Meeting  you  changed  my  life.  Thank  you
for being there for me. 
 
You  are  the  sweetest  person  I  got  to
know. 
 
It's  refreshing  to  meet  people  like  you,
especially young people who are willing to
inspire and motivate! 
 
You  have  helped  me  in  incredible  ways
and I could never repay you. 
 
Thank  you  for  your  love,  support,  and  all
your hugs. 
 
You  are  such  a  beautiful  person  inside
and  out.  I  love  how  brave  and  inspiring
you are. 
 
You  inspire  me  to  fight  for  my  feminist
beliefs. 
 
Camp  is  about  to  end.  Days  went  by  so
fast. I can't express myself how thankful I
am  for  having  the  chance  to  be  a  part  of
this  family.  Here  I  have  learned  things  I'll
never  forget  and  will  guide  me  through
life.  Thank  you  for  the  support  and
motivation.  It  was  nice  knowing  someone
believes  in  you  and  your  dreams.  I  can
write a book about this experience, but to
be  short:  thank  you  for  everything.  I'll
never  forget  you.  You  have  a  special
place in my heart. 
 
I wrote you a note at the beginning but I'll
write  another  one  cause  you  deserve  it!
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You  are  one  of  the  best  people  I  have
Subscribe Past Issues ever  met!  You're  always  positive  RSS and
smiling  and  singing  and  dancing.  I  love
you  so  much.  I'll  hug  you  so  hard  when
we're  saying  goodbye  I'll  break  your
bones! You are the best! 
 
There  is  nothing  more  than  I  can  say
because  you  are  a  Game  of  Thrones  fan
and that says everything! xxx 
 
You  are  such  an  amazing,  awesome,
inspiring girl! I had so much fun spending
this week with you and I am going to miss
your  positive  energy  and  happiness
around me when I leave camp. 
 
It's  refreshing  to  meet  people  like  you,
especially young people who are willing to
inspire and motivate! 
 
I  loved  how  concentrated  you  were  while
cutting  those  muscle  croissants!  You  are
extremely smart(of course­ you brought a
watch)  and  just  amazing!  Keep  on  doing
what you are doing cuz it's working girl! 
 
You  will  make  change  in  the  world.  Best
wishes! 
 
Keep on shining 
 
You  are  a  wonderful  lady!    You've  got  a
huge  heart  and  a  beautiful  singing  voice.
You're  so  open  and  easy  to  get  along
with.  I'm  so  happy  camp  made  such  a
Some of the special moments we shared at camp. difference  to  you.  Your  sweet  soul  brings
me  lots  of  joy.  Keep  being  amazing  and
learning to change the world! 
 
You are so unique. 
 
Start a GLOW Club  Happiness is knowing you. 
in your community!  

Do you want to share what you learned at camp with others? Do you
love discussing important issues with other young women? Do you
want to help your community through service projects? Then starting
a GLOW Club may be your next project!
 
If you are interested in starting and leading your own GLOW Club,
please contact clubs.macedonia@gmail.com for more information on

how to get started!

   Gostivar Glow Club

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GLOW Macedonia · Mitko Zafirov Broj. 1 · Gevgelija 1480 · Macedonia

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