Burn Camp Proposal

Burns are a leading cause of death and injury to young children in South Africa (NIMSS 2001). A special and unforgettable camp experience for children and teenagers who have experienced injuries from burns is being offered.

Introduction

The social and psychological effects experienced by burn survivors are a heavy burden on the shoulders of a little child, who just wants to play with other kids.

Burn Camps provide the setting for burn survivors to share their common experiences while being able to play and not feel self conscious about what others may be thinking of their scars. The Burn Camp will provide campers with some of the best friends they will ever make. After camp, the children will continue on with their own lives but it will be different - they will have new friends and realize that they are not the only one with a burn injury.

The purpose of the Burn Survivors Jamboree

Reintegration back into school and society in general is often traumatic and difficult. The Burn Survivor Jamboree is an outreach programme which addresses these issues.

Such programmes have been proven to greatly assist in the long-term rehabilitation of children suffering a serious burn injury. Among the benefits of such programmes for the burns survivors are:

  • Greater sense of achievement
  • Higher self esteem
  • Self confidence
  • Knowing they are not alone
  • Sharing of experiences
  • Making friends and having fun

The mission of the Burn Survivors Jamboree is to provide a safe environment for children who have experienced significant burn injuries. It is our goal to provide a non-judgemental atmosphere in which children have the opportunity to build their self-esteem as they enjoy the varied activities that make up their camp experience.

Burn Camp Jamboree 2003

The First Burn Survivor Jamboree in Africa was held in the Magaliesberg, North West Province from 29th September to 3rd October 2003. Thirteen burn survivors from throughout South Africa attended the camp along with four non-burn junior camp counsellors. An alliance between the organisations, Medics Against Paediatric Injuries (MAGPI), Eco-Access, Children of Fire and the World Burn Foundation (WBF) planned and facilitated this camp. A community support group based in Alexandra, the Umashesha (the quick movers) assisted as camp counsellors. International representatives from WBF Australia, Canada, Germany and the USA attended the camp to assist and observe based on their experience in burn camps worldwide.

The Burn Camp Program

The therapeutic value of recreational camps for children with disabilities or differences is well recognised in the literature. There are many such camps designed specifically for burn-injured children around the world today.

The camping programme aims to provide a safe and supportive environment where the development of self-esteem, and a sense of community and peer support is the primary focus. With the encouragement of caring and knowledgeable staff, children on camp can be exposed to challenging physical and social skills. This gives them an opportunity not only to overcome frustrations and fears but to maximise their potential. For the older age group there is an additional focus on leadership and decision making skills.

We believe that achieving these goals requires more than just a fun and happy environment. Activity programming is designed to encourage self-awareness as well as an appreciation of the environment and well being of others, and an expression of feelings. The staffing of camp must include those who are supportive of this process and who are experienced in facilitation of small group discussions and the development of self-awareness through activity.

Evenings always conclude with quiet group activities. Early and restful nights are essential for children and staff.

Another important feature in planning is the employment of fully qualified activity specialists who have the specific skills and safety knowledge for the instruction of activities. Also essential is the ability of these specialists to adapt activities for children with more profound disabilities such as the child who really wants to abseil but has finger amputations or auxiliary tightness. The ability to facilitate positive self esteem and team building throughout the activities also requires an understanding of the needs of children with burn injuries and a willingness to identify with the goals of the programme.

All staff are well versed with burn injuries and comprise a multidisciplinary team.

The benefits of camp are difficult to quantify. Stories of children overcoming withdrawn and antisocial behaviour are important guidelines as to the success of camp. Often, for some children, camp is the first real encounter with others and their burn scars. This can help them place their own situation into perspective and share openly their emotional fears. It is hoped that when children leave camp they take a sense of achievement and empowerment with them back to home, school and community.

Looking at experiences from other countries that now have established annual or bi-annual burn camps there are some lessons to be learned and we intend on making the burns camp a yearly activity. In this regard, we have received support from the World Burns Foundation who will be attending the event to provide support and expertise, as well as setting up structures for future burns camps in Southern Africa and provided several workshops in Gauteng and the Cape.

In order to ensure that future burns camps are successful and that the lessons learned can be replicated, the University of Pretoria will be assisting in the design of the camp. This will also be beneficial to the children attending the camp as specific activities will be develop to ensure that the appropriate therapeutic recreation is achieved.

The qualified staff will also be participating in an orientation session presented by the World Burns Foundation which is designed to prepare them to deal with the special needs of burn survivors as well as to build a cohesive team.

The burn survivors camp will be free to all children who have suffered burn injuries, usually to at least 15% of their bodies. Children will be transported to the campsite at no cost to them and camp activities and accommodations are financed by donations.
An initiative such as this would need the greater support of many other South Africans, government, NGO's and business alike.

Burn Camp 2004 - Western Cape

Prof. Rode, head of paediatric surgery at the Red Cross Childrens Hospital has 900 burn survivors under his care at this hospital alone. We are planning to take twenty young burn survivors on this camp.

Accompanying the twenty burn survivors will be non-burn children who are community volunteers and will be trained as camp counsellors. Two workshops will be conducted prior to the camp in order to prepare and train these volunteers. The latter two groups enable us to fulfil two other very important roles in the community. Firstly the non-burn children, through their practical experience on these camps, act as advocates for inclusion and burn prevention education. Secondly, the volunteers will train new volunteers for the local communities.

Government and Non-government organisations will also participate in the workshops, bringing multi-disciplinary experience and skill to enhance and forge a comprehensive team approach to effectively deal with the burns issue in South Africa.

Conclusion

It is envisaged that a group of burned volunteers will be established after this camp in order to further the camp objectives and also to provide burns prevention education particularly to schools. This is the area that the fire services can play a major role in supporting these burn volunteers with outreach programmes, visiting schools and proactive prevention measures.

In conclusion, making a difference is what these programmes are all about. If this happens for just one child then it's all worth the effort.

Note: a video of the burn survivors camp is available for your perusal

Contacts

Gauteng