Matam Girls Leadership Camp: 5 days, 10 PCVs, 28 middle school (ish) girls (ranging from ages 11 to 17) coming from 8 villages.
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| My girls: Ndiabel, Ndiabou, Me and Oumou |
We started the camp with ice breakers and teaching the girls a dance to Beyonce's 'Who Run The World (Girls)', which we used as our theme for the camp (Pulaar translation: Mo laami aduna? Rewbe!).
The next day we jumped into sessions, asking girls to reflect on their lives (current stresses, future dreams) and then playing "The Best Game" which teaches the girls about entrepreneurship and money management.
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| The girls drawing out what their current life looks like. |
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| Handing out 'money' during The Best Game. |
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| Discussing financial choices during The Best Game. |
We included sports sessions each afternoon.
That evening we had the girls make collages representing their present and futures lives.
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| One of my girls, Ndiabel, presenting her collage. |
The next day we had a nurse midwife come talk to the girls about reproductive health and diseases, topics that are rarely addressed in these conservative communities. We followed that with a session on women's rights from a guest speaker from the local NGO Tostan. We wrapped up the day with a light-hearted session on American Culture, clearing up the stereotypes that circulate about us Americans, and giving them an insight to our culture and lives.
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| Our midwife only spoke French, so we had a volunteer (as well as the older girls) assist with Pulaar translations |
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| Apple pies for the American Culture session. None of the girls liked it (we think it was their unfamiliarity with cinnamon) but that left plenty for the volunteers! |
During our sports session that afternoon we did a dance exchange, where we taught some American dance moves (Single Ladies, Dougie) and they taught us some Senegalese moves. When our speakers couldn't play their Senegalese Mbalax music loud enough, the activity quickly turned into a drum circle, with girls banging on pans and water jugs as various individuals showed off their moves in the center of the circle. They even pulled each of us volunteers into the middle to show what we've got.
On Sunday we had some more sessions, the first on leadership, followed by a session on gender roles and the stereotypes attached to them. It was great to see the girls openly debate some topics about gender that are rarely discussed.
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| Our regional volunteer support assistant (VSA), Sakhir, leading the gender roles session. |
We then had a group of accomplished Senegalese female professionals from the area come talk to the girls on our career panel. The girls enjoyed seeing the types of careers that are entirely within their reach.
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| Career Panel |
The last day, we had some wrap-up sessions and the parents came to pick up the girls. We had the girls sit down with their parents to talk about their goals for the future, and the steps they would need to take to achieve those goals. This was a very powerful activity, as some girls were meant to get married in the near future (at the age of 14 or so) and came forward to their parents about their desires for their future. While some parents were at first on the defensive, between the girls knowledgable presentation and the helpful assistance of a Senegalese Peace Corps staff member who came to help the camp, they seemed to leave understanding the girls wishes and goals.
We finished the camp off with a cheesy certificate ceremony, which the girls loved.
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| Me with some of the girls. |
Overall, I'm rating this camp as a success. We had absolutely no problems with the girls, in terms of behavior or enthusiasm. The girls left in tears, some because they finally were able to discuss their futures with their parents, others due to the close friendships formed in the 5 days. The camp really provided a venue for a new type of learning for many of the young ladies, and a place to get away from cultural and societal norms that may be hindering their creative prosperity. It was rewarding to be part of a project where you see some results immediately, but also leave with the expectation of long-term effects.
Thank you so much to all who donated to this camp! We really could not do this without support from home, and I hope all of you consider a donation to the camp we plan to do next year.
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| Matam Girls Leadership Camp 2013 |
Outstanding, Ala! Sounds like a very successful and inspiring week!
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