ENP Kids Head to Camp

    On July 22, I arrived at the airport at 7 am with the other interns to send seven kids off to camp. It was a bittersweet moment because while the kids were sad to leave their families, they were also excited for the adventure ahead. Annually, ENP sends Ethiopian-Israeli students to summer camp through partnerships it forges with North American Jewish overnight summer camps, which fully sponsor tuition and airfare for ENP participants who have completed ENP’s yearlong Bridges spoken English program. These kids were the first batch of kids to go this summer. They were all going to camp in Canada. Before the kids checked in and checked their bags, Grace gave a speech about how amazing this was. The other interns and I spoke to the kids in English to kickstart their summer full of English. After the kids had all checked in, there was some time for photos and the final goodbye before the kids went through security. Watching them go through security was the final moment, and it was all thanks to ENP. Watching them say goodbye to their families brought back many memories. I spent seven years at camp, and those summers were amazing. I made lifelong friendships and created memories that will stay with me forever. 

    Being able to send ENP kids to camp for the first time was incredible. Camp gave me so much, and I am beyond happy they will now experience it. This summer, it wasn’t guaranteed that they would be able to go to camp, and there was so much uncertainty because of the war. These kids have been through so much, and they deserve this experience. 

    They earned this experience through their hard work in the spoken English program and the effort they put into applying. I can’t wait to hear their stories when they come back—stories of friendship, adventure, and fun.