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About

Aslan Camp is an adventure camp for boys and girls in grades 5 to 7, based on the Narnia stories of CS Lewis. It takes place towards the end of August every year. In 2024, the dates are 19 to 29 August.

It is so called after Aslan, the Lion in C.S. Lewis’s books. We read one of the Narnia books on each camp, and children may even meet a dragon, a prince or another character from Narnia during one of the games!

Aslan camp is all about three things –

FUN

There’s never a dull moment at Aslan, with a wide variety of activities and adventures for the kids, ranging from abseiling and raft-building, to stargazing and campfire stories. This is the number one priority on Aslan – having loads of holiday fun!

FRIENDSHIP

When kids join camp, they join the Aslan family – a friendly, accepting and supportive environment where children can be themselves, and relate freely. Kids on camp learn how to build genuine relationships, and all develop a strong bond with their fellow adventurers

FAITH

The Aslan Camp is based on Christian values which introduce the children to faith, in a way which is fun, appropriate to their age group, and never pushy. The heart of Alsan is not preaching but learning to treat each other kindness and respect.

Aslan takes place on the Jabulani estate in Shangani, where the rich landscape is home to over 40 species of wildlife, including eland, impala, zebra and giraffe. Kids get to explore and experience this unspoilt natural ecosystem, all under the safe supervision of our experienced, qualified team.

We invite children to join us on an excitement-packed, fun-filled ten-day holiday adventure. See you there!

Team

The team balances continuity and freshness, since theres always a mixture of experienced and new leaders. The children are in safe hands, with a core leadership team which is trained and experienced.

Chris Hingley, Mitch and Jessica Spence, and the Jabulani Staff

Chris Hingley founded the Aslan Camp at Shurugwi in 1980, and has led it almost every year since. He qualified as a group leader for camps on a residential course organised by the Council for Colony Holidays for School Children in England, and qualified on subsequent residential courses as an Assistant Leader and finally as Camp Leader.

Mitch and Jessica Spence have attended many christian camps in the UK, and the Jabulani staff are also experienced camp leaders.

A team of 12 teenagers, from Petra High School, Girls’ College and CBC, look after the small groups in which the children are placed. Almost all of them came on camp when they were children themselves, and since then have been trained in camp leadership through weekly meetings with Chris Hingley, learning leadership skills through Seven Ups, and a special annual training afternoon before each camp. During camp itself, they are encouraged, monitored, and helped with any particular problems.

Activities

The Aslan programme packs loads of adventure, activities and experiences into 10 glorious, fun-filled days. Each day’s activities are structured and well planned, ensuring kids get a good balance of exercise and rest, group games and free time, and adventurous and quieter activities. Kids learn to be responsible for keeping their own space tidy, how to work together to achieve a goal, and how to take on board new skills and abilities. An hour is spent each day at morning meetings, with discussion, fun activities and stories around the Christian faith

Below are some of the most popular activities

Night-walk to a kopje for star-gazing

Backwards Day

On that day, time runs backwards – the day begins with a bedtime story, and ends with a game before breakfast!

Abseiling

Enjoy abseiling safely, with proper equipment and trained staff.

Raft-building

Your team’s mission, should you choose to accept it, is to build a raft from the available materials, and paddle it across the dam!

Wide games

All kinds of field games: Prisoner Base, Rockets and Interceptors, Danish Longball, Scots and English, Commando, Parachute games & lots more.

Crafts & indoor games

Campfire cooking, Giant Brainracker Quiz, Battleships, Wink Murder, and a variety of different crafts to choose from.

Venue

Jabulani is between Bulawayo and Gweru, near Shangani, and is located on one of the most beautiful stretches of land Zimbabwe has to offer. Nestled among 1380-hectares of indigenous woodland, the camp is secluded and peaceful, and provides refuge for over 40 native wildlife species.

Wide, spacious dormitories provide comfortable accommodation, and have their own ablution blocks, fully equipped with reliable hot and cold water shower facilities.

Tasty, home-style meals are served that are nutritious, and provide kids with all the energy they need to tackle the active days!!

Gallery

2023 Photo Gallery

2022 Photo Gallery

Sponsors

The camp fee that we charge is considerably lower than the actual cost, because we want to make the camp as affordable as possible at a time when most families are struggling. This subsidy is made possible through the generous support from friends who see the extraordinary value of the camp to the children who come. These friends include the Friends of Petra Trust in the UK, Anglican Aid Australia, Crossroads Church, Geneva, USA, and St Swithun’s Parish in Sydney Australia.

Testimonials

The annual Aslan Camp led by Chris Hingley is not a camp like any other I know. It is truly unique in the experience it offers to children in Zimbabwe today. It stands out from others in the sense of adventure, and the fun and friendship that characterize each 10 day event. Each one is an enjoyable learning experience for the children, within a safe, genuine and attractive Christian ethos. As the challenge of the Christian faith is presented appropriately to the ages of the participants, all benefit – and not a few young lives have been changed through the experience. Moreover the camps provide great opportunities for the training of other young Christians showing leadership potential. All in all I am in no doubt that the Aslan Camps rank among the most valuable forms of Christian ministry available to children within the country today. I cannot commend them too highly to fellow Pastors, Church leaders, parents, teachers and others engaged in children’s ministry.

– Graham Shaw (formerly Methodist Pastor in Bulawayo)

“Some of my most enduring memories come from the times I spent on the Aslan Camp as both a young camper and a leader. The duration of the camp provides you with a significant time away that really allows deep bonding to happen between people and it’s an amazing state to begin to figure out who God is and what life is about whilst having a tonne of fun. I will never ever forget the three camps I attended.”

– Kyle Peters, Cape Town

“Aslan camp is a wonderful experience for children and leaders alike. It is a holiday that enables everyone who is a part of it to experience 10 days of memories that last a lifetime. Games, activities and life skills, song and dance, good food and caring fellowship make this camp so incredibly unique. It changed my life every single year that I was privileged to be a part of it. Be a part of it, let it change yours.”

– Caroline Colin, Exeter

“The Aslan camps will forever remain a highlight of my childhood. I first attended the camp in grade 5 and I was instantly hooked. I returned in grades 6 and 7, and four more times after that as a leader on the camps. On the camp we made new friends, had LOADS of fun and learnt about Christ in a friendly, creative environment. No other camps came close to the variety and caliber of activities on this camp. I hope they are still going when my children are old enough, I will fly them in from Cape Town to be there!”

– Lance Posthumus, Cape Town

“I am eternally grateful that my 3 children were able to go on Aslan, which had an eternal impact on their lives.”

– Dave Conolly.

“This is the best holiday that I have had in my whole life”

– Boy on the Aslan Camp

“This is not just the best holiday I have had – it is the happiest that I have ever been”

– Girl on the Aslan Camp

“What I like best about this camp is that I never stop laughing”

– Boy on the Aslan Camp

“I was laughing so much this evening that tears started running down my face”

– Boy on the Aslan Camp

“The games were really awesome, especially Scots and English and the stalking game, which were my favourites on camp. The activities were as fun as the games and my favourites were the raft building, zip lining and the adventure course which challenged and tired me out in a good way!

I would love to go back again next year to learn more, make new friends and get to know more about them, and because it was super awesome!”

– Boy on the 2017 Camp

Join Us

APPLICATIONS:

Numbers are limited to 48 children, so apply as soon as you can to avoid disappointment. Bookings are opening in mid June so start planning now.

If your child is in grade 5 – 7 and you would like to make a provisional booking, please fill in the form below. Final booking information will be sent in early August.

COSTS

We are able to charge a reduced camp fee, because of generous support from friends who see the extraordinary value of camp to the children who come. We have always tried to keep the camp fee close to USD$300/child, and we will do our very best to do the same this year. This is fully inclusive of transport to and from the camp, accommodation, food and all activities and outings over the 10 days.

WHAT MUST KIDS BRING?

A kit list and other information will be sent to you by e-mail when full payment of camp fees has been made. Children are accepted only on the understanding that they will attend the entire camp. This will enable the children to form good friendships and feel at home in their teams.

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