Global Camps Africa is a non-profit corporation based in Reston, Virginia

Reston, Virginia

Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The population was 58,404, at the 2010 Census and 56,407 at the 2000 census...

 that establishes, staffs and maintains American-style summer camps (although many operate year-round) for children affected by HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

 and AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

. The first such camp was Camp Sizanani

Camp Sizanani

Camp Sizanani was founded as a joint venture between Global Camps Africa, a non-profit headquartered in Reston, Virginia, and HIVSA, a South African foundation that provides care and services to HIV-affected individuals...

 of Magaliesburg, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, which was founded in 2003 and operates several camp sessions per year. The children at Sizanani come from the townships of Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

, the nation's largest city. Additional camps outside Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

 and Durban

Durban

Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

 have been held. The long-term goal of Global Camps Africa is to expand to other nations, both in Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 and elsewhere.

Founder

Global Camps Africa Inc.(formerly WorldCamps), was founded by Philip H. Lilienthal

Philip H. Lilienthal

Philip H. Lilienthal is an American lawyer, camp director, and philanthropist best known for his humanitarian work in Ethiopia and South Africa.- Peace Corps :...

, an American lawyer and camp director. Lilienthal owned and operated Camp Winnebago in Fayette, Maine

Fayette, Maine

Fayette is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,040 at the 2000 census. Students who live in Fayette attend Fayette Central School, and once they graduate from fifth grade are sent to either Livermore Falls, Winthrop,and Maranacook...

 for 30 years before founding Global Camps Africa. Although Lilienthal had Peace Corps

Peace Corps

The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...

 experience in Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

, his first foray with Global Camps Africa led him to South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. There, he teamed with HIVSA, a local HIV/AIDS foundation, to establish Camp Sizanani

Camp Sizanani

Camp Sizanani was founded as a joint venture between Global Camps Africa, a non-profit headquartered in Reston, Virginia, and HIVSA, a South African foundation that provides care and services to HIV-affected individuals...

 in the Gauteng

Gauteng

Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...

 province, home to South Africa's capital, Pretoria

Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...

 and its largest city, Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

.

When establishing a new Global Camps Africa location, Lilienthal temporarily assumes the role of camp director for the new camp's fledgling sessions. He then passes the daily operations on to local leadership for the long term.