Andrew Tyrrell
The Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) organized a camp for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) children whose families face financial challenges at Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre for children aged 6-11 in July and August.
CCAH is a charity dedicated to spreading awareness of Afro-Caribbean history and culture among the residents of the Halton region and promoting diversity and inclusion in the community.
The camp served 40 children for eight weeks, including ten from Halton Children's Aid Society. This year, participants were charged $5 per day.
"Many Black children have foster parents from other communities. Naturally, those foster parents didn't have any grounding in the foster child's culture, commented CCAH President Andrew Tyrrell.
"And they were pleased to have children sent to our day camp because the participants got to not only experience their culture and learn about their history, but they also got to be in an environment where everybody looked like them."
Besides the participants, even the camp counsellors were from BIPOC communities, therefore serving as role models for the kids.
"The activities and the day camp experience were developed through a culturally appropriate perspective and delivered in a culturally sensitive way," stated Tyrrell.
As a result of the cross-disciplinary approach to the program's design, children explored a wide range of subjects, including digital photography, arts and crafts, physical activity, sports, Steelpan and African drumming, literacy, swimming and cooking. During the outdoor segment of the camp, participants also learned about gardening.
One of the weekly field trips to Country Heritage Park was dedicated to gathering Indigenous knowledge under the guidance of Grandmothers' Voices (a Halton-based Indigenous Center) at Country Heritage Park.
