ABOUT CAMP JUMOKE
Camp Jumoke (pronounced joo-MOH-keh) is a non-profit, charitable organization whose mandate is to enrich the life experiences of children affected with sickle cell disease by sending them to summer camp for two weeks each year. Camp Jumoke, the first and only summer camp for children with sickle cell disease, was co-founded in Canada in 1994 by members of The Association for the Advancement of Blacks in Health Sciences (AABHS).
“Jumoke” is a word from the Yoruba language of Nigeria that means, “Everyone loves the child”. Since our second year of operation, the turtle has been our symbol. The turtle lives longer than any other animal except man. In ancient cultures, the turtle was revered as a symbol of perseverance; some cultures believed that turtles possessed mystical healing powers. In nature, only the strong survive, and the turtle does this best. For these reasons, Camp Jumoke has chosen the turtle as a symbol of the struggle and strength of all of our children, especially those with Sickle Cell Disease.
What is the Camp Jumoke Program?
Since 1994, Camp Jumoke has been a special place for children affected with Sickle Cell Disease and has sent more than 400 Ontario children to summer camp. Our responsibilities include finding an accredited campsite and staff, medically screening the children to ensure they are healthy enough to attend camp, and providing an organized, medically supervised camping experience.
Approximately 500 children with sickle cell disease are treated medically at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The overwhelming majority of these children are visible minorities. Some families are recent immigrants to Canada and the cost of camp represents an expense beyond their means. Camp Jumoke covers the cost to send each child to camp, which is currently greater than $1,750.
This year, our plan is to send 35 children to camp between the ages of 7 and 16. Currently our camp is hosted by Camp Wenonah in Bracebridge, Ontario. They have welcomed us with open arms for the past 6 years. Ultimately, our goal is to be able to send every child to camp that expresses an interest and one day to have a camp that we can call our own.
