Girls Conference

I have just returned home today from one of my favorite activities yet in Peace Corps. My friend Heather, along with help from myself and other PCVs, planned a conference for girls in Kongoussi. Ten PCVs from all over each brought two girls in middle or high school. My participants were two of the older girls in my club and I believe are seen as leaders among their peers, Adinatou, age 18, and Assetou, age 16. Assetou had been to Ouaga before which we had to pass through before continuing north but hadn't done much travelling. Adinatou had never been farther than a town 20 km from our village and had never been in a vehicle. Can you imagine that? Both had so many new experiences in the last five days!

The main theme was family planning but we included a lot of other information including: reproductive anatomy, puberty, youth and sexuality, differences between sex and gender, choosing a partner, the rights of youth and women, female genital mutilation, and setting and
achieving goals. Because we promised their parents to keep an eye on them since there was concern about them getting knocked up in the big city instead of just learning about unwanted pregnancies, we came up with many evening activities as well. We made liquid soap, had a guest panel of women in influential local positions, made mango jam, and I taught them to make a type of local jewelry that is popular here and to make paper. Each pair of girls was given an egg and birth certificate that became their baby for the week. They had to carry with them everywhere and lost points for not having it with them, cracking it, or answering questions wrong about what to do in a variety of situations. My girls tied for first place but I reminded them they still aren't ready for their own babies. Last night we had a closing candlelit ceremony where we told them to pass their flame of knowledge on and gave each girl a goody bag with pencils, markers, hair ties, soap, paper, and condoms to give demos. This was followed by a dance party!

The week reminded me of my wonderful times going to 4-H camps and conferences - the many amazing new experiences, making new friends,and going to new places. This was a huge part of my childhood and adolescences but is very rare here for youth. There really aren't many opportunities like this so I am so thrilled to have been a part of providing this for a great group of girls.