Girls' Education in Senegal

So I've been in Senegal for 6 months already, and I'm sure many of you are wondering when I'm going to start some "real work." Projects tend to be rather long-winded in the development realm, primarily because we have to deal with the bureaucracy of the grant process, after you've finally come up with a feasible and sustainable project. However, one project that I'm lucky enough to already be a part of (because it is a collaborative effort of all volunteers in our region) is the Matam's 2nd Annual Girls' Leadership Camp. I recently finished up the Michelle Sylvester Scholarship at the middle school near my village, which involved working with the top 9 girls from 3 different grades at this school to pick 3 winners of a grand prize scholarship to go towards school supplies and tuition. Most PCV's participate in this scholarship program, and to continue working with these distinguished young girls from each of our schools, we've organized a leadership camp for them and to reinforce the benefits of education. It's an excellent program, especially in our region where you see girls married off as early as age 11 and many times cooking and cleaning their family's house before this age if they're not married. Education is not a priority in many girls' lives, and I hope that by positively influencing even a handful of girls to continue with their education we make strides in the right direction. School is an opportunity to gain critical thinking skills, socialize with people of their own age, and overall gain a type of independence. The leadership camp reinforces positive mind-sets among girls and encourages them to stay in school.

In general, the schools in my area are pretty well funded and taught. There just needs to be further encouragement to ensure every child has the motivation to stay in school, despite the social pressures to marry early.

We cannot complete this project without your help. We're fundraising to have this camp through a Peace Corps Partnership Grant and anything you can spare will make sure these girls have an opportunity for creativity, leadership, and a general outlet that they may not get in their daily lives.
Go here to donate:
https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=685-221

More updates how this camp goes early next year, but thanks for your support!

I'll leave you now with a video of some of these girls performing a traditional Pulaar dance at the end of the school year celebration: