a TRIUMPH of girls

This past year- six months ago, really- five fellow female PCVs and I planned and executed a triumphant workshop for fifty female high school students, called Camp GLOW.


Camp GLOW (girls leading our world) is a worldwide project that Volunteers hold for the amazing young women in their villages.  Our specific camp focused on building self-confidence, leadership, health, and education.  Which is a pretty standard focus, but we made it our own.

The first session, led by me, was about building self-confidence.  We discussed ways that the young women could gain self-confidence, and how to identify when people were saying or doing things that were damaging their confidence.  Even better, how to ignore those people and throw away all of the negativity that could lower their confidence.

We also had a truth line. By engaging in a truth line, the young women shared things they had in common- like sibling or future hopes- as well as things they believe about themselves, like being intelligent and talented.
After some warm up games and sharing, we moved into sessions about nutrition and reproductive health.  We ended the first day happy and ready to eat some delicious food by the river, which we did.

On the second and final day of the workshop, all the participants and leaders wore fun Camp GLOW shirts.  Sister-wife Jill had the idea to have the girls celebrate their awesomeness with a photobooth where we wrote why we glow.

Day two was all about nutrition, careers and making great decisions about future educational endeavors.  The girls spent the breaks writing kind notes to each other and leaving them in the envelopes they had made and decorated during the confidence session the day prior.

By the end of the workshop, the girls had reinforced their belief in themselves, grown their knowledge of a healthy diet, discussed the importance of healthy relationships and how to help friends who might be involved in an unhealthy one.  The young women had learned some new exercises to build a strong body, mapped out possible educational opportunities, and heard from and asked questions of experienced women in a variety of careers.

And they even got a certificate to show for their hard work and focus.

 So... triumph?

I'd say yes, because of the amazing teamwork all of the women present showed.  The willingness to stop and learn from each other and share their hopes.  The goals made and discussed and committed to amongst peers.  

I'd say that's quite a triumph in a country where young women are typically the first to be pressured to drop education, career aspirations and other possibilities when faced with money or family problems.

Triumph indeed.