A Family Story

To express our gratitude for all you have done to help Amici campers, there are no words more meaningful than those of an Amici parent. We are pleased to share this beautiful letter with you from Fatouma. Her daughters, Hasna and Saada, attended camp for the first time in 2018.

Dear Amici:

Thank you, thank you and thanks again so much for accepting my summer 2018 application for my girls to attend summer camp. It was their first experience and they had a wonderful time and still to this day they are singing different camp songs around the house, on the bus and as we walk outside. They drive me crazy with the songs, but I know they are happy so I am happy. At camp, they were surprised by the tall trees there and going into the forest, and meeting new friends. They spoke to me about camp fires they had, learning how to swim, doing arts and crafts and learning different chants and games. Both my girls had such a great time at camp that the second day on their return back they were asking when they can go back to camp.

I had to explain to them that camp cost a lot of money, and that some nice people paid for the trip as a gift. The first day of them going to camp was an emotional day — because it was the first time that they would be away from me for a long period of time, so I was worried they would be homesick. But I was wrong as they are already looking to go back and keep telling me what they did and the names of some of the people they met at camp and built friendships with. Amici, I want to thank you and your donors for providing the camp experience to my girls.

Amici providing the opportunity for my girls to go to camp was a parental relief for me. As I mentioned I have a heart condition where I have my days of pain from two procedures done and during the healing process…having my kids at camp this summer for one week provided me with the much needed rest my heart specialist was insisting I take. My kids going to camp provided me with that rest of recuperating physically and mentally and as a single mother. I and my kids would like to say thank you again Amici for providing such a wonderful experience not just for my girls but for other kids who would not have gained such valuable experience without your assistance. Thank you, Amici.

Sincerely,

Fatouma

Your support is life-changing for not only the 293 children who attended camp in 2018, but also for their parents, families and communities. Thank you for making stories like Fatouma’s possible with your generosity.