2024 ICF Award Recipients

2024 Abbott Fenn Druzhba Award:

The Abbott Fenn Druzhba Award is a special recognition of an individual, camp, or organization, which has made a significant and sustained contribution to international camping. The endowed contribution for the award was made by Abbott Fenn, a long-standing, active member of the American Camp Association and former owner/director of the Keewaydin Camps in New England, U.S.A. The award recognizes those who spread the benefit of the camp experience to improve world understanding.

THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPING FELLOWSHIP (ICF) ANNOUNCES

PHIL LILIENTHAL & GLOBAL CAMPS AFRICA

AS THE 2024 ABBOTT FENN DRUZHBA AWARD RECIPIENT

Before founding Global Camps Africa in 2004, Phil Lilienthal was a Reston (Virginia) attorney and owner and director of Camp Winnebago in Maine (USA). He joined the Peace Corps following law school, started Ethiopia’s first residential summer camps in 1966 and ran it for two summers. He and his wife, Lynn, were Peace Corps volunteers in Ethiopia. Phil later became an Attorney-Advisor in the Peace Corps General Counsel’s office, Regional Director for Mindanao in the Philippines, and Deputy Peace Corps Director in Thailand.

Since 2003, Global Camps Africa (GCA) has used camp programs to teach life skills and support healthy, empowered lifestyles. Initially focused on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the curriculum has since expanded to address broader needs, including financial literacy, entrepreneurship, digital skills, and coding. They run three annual sessions of Camp Sizanani, a residential camp serving youth ages 12 to 18 from impoverished Johannesburg townships. With 140 youth per session, over 400 young people benefit each year. Additionally, their bi-weekly Youth Clubs serve more than 2,000 children aged 5 to 18 across Johannesburg, including those living in children’s homes (orphanages). Their programs equip participants with essential life skills to help them face challenges with resilience, fostering social and economic engagement. Campers are encouraged to become active community members, contributing to sustainable development and societal progress in South Africa. Their holistic approach integrates life skills into fun, engaging daily activities such as sports, theater, and arts, alongside sessions on health topics like HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and self-esteem. To date, GCA has positively impacted the lives of over 70,000 vulnerable children and youth across South Africa, inspiring growth and community empowerment, including 12,000 who have attended Camp Sizanani.