Odyssey of the Heart: Girls Like Me

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

They say that home is where the heart is. My heart---well, I left it in pieces. All over Sierra Leone. Each girl I encountered took a piece. I left it with over 30 girls at the Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone. I left it with 20 girls from FC Mahmoud. I left it with all of the adolescent girls there who need an opportunity to be better than what their conditions have predicted. There is no difference between these girls and myself; same people, same make up, same languages, same hair, same names, same giggles. Our struggles make us different, but that should not be the limiting factor in which of us is allowed to achieve, to succeed, to live and to thrive. And so this isn't about "helping girls." It's about leading girls to a place where they can dream, achieve, live, and re-start the cycle.

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

Perhaps you have heard my 2013 journey before. For those of you haven’t, here is a recap: 

In May 2013, I was at a crossroads; I had two options. One was to accept my Peace Corps invitation to Colombia where I would serve as a TEFL teacher, possibly trainer for 27 months of service. The second was to take a chance by staying in Panama, continue teaching English and try my hand at a girls program at an international school. They were both equally great opportunities for me. One of these decisions would keep me away from Sierra Leone for at least two years and another would be a risk, but would allow me to go to Sierra Leone to facilitate workshops at the 2^nd Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone (GESSL). I prayed, meditated, put cold water over this decision. It troubled me for a while because I went through a long process to be invited to serve in PC. But, I just couldn’t stomach not being able to afford going to Sierra Leone for a few years. Something was pulling me to Sierra Leone. 

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

I guess it’s obvious which decision I made because on December 14^th, I boarded a plane with all of my pink workshop materials and my favourite community building activity book in tow. This felt right.

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

I proclaimed that in 2013, I would be involved in work for girls. I sensed it and pushed it into the universe and it happened. There is always more to be done but I am elated with the way things took shape.  There was confirmation: girl’s work, youth development, education---that’s just what I do. When I left Sierra Leone in 2007, I promised that I would not come back to the country until I had a project, something to do, something to give, something to share, something to uplift, even if a small project. It took years to figure that out  (and years to actually make ends meet enough, lol.) But it happened and for that I am grateful.

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

I had the opportunity to be a mentor and facilitate two workshops at GESSL, an initiative created by Moiyattu Banya,  Founder of Women Change Africa  and Lsiel Renner, Founder of Visao Foundation. The summit was born was out of the idea that "girls can change the world if they are given an opportunity to cultivate the skills necessary to realize their true potential," (GESSL 2013).

I facilitated two workshops on self-development and community development. I brought the girls to consider their own positive qualities and what they contribute to the world. The second workshop focused on community development and creating vision maps to implement solutions to issues they identified in their communities. The girls spent the day going to workshops on various topics including: body image, sisterhood, community issues, budgeting and finance, just to name a few. They also enjoyed a speed mentoring session , where power women from the community rotated amongst the girls as they asked questions on education, careers, dreams, and even love. <3 Some things are the same all over the world :)

I have done extensive work with girls for a few years now in different capacities, however this was my first time bringing this work to the continent. Needless to say, it was a learning experience for me as well.

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

As a facilitator raised in raised in a western society with lots of western ideals, some things that came up during some of the workshops were hard to swallow--- and for many of us, in fact. This did not discourage me; I was encouraged to reassess the way that we delivered some of these workshops and our expectations of the outcome. It is up to us to meet the needs of the girls we want to empower by truly studying and understanding the backgrounds and situations in which they have been nurtured. I strive to do this in the classroom and in workshops because students and participants come to us with their own individual experiences that affect how they receive our information as well as implement suggestions.  Okay, let me not get all righteous and teacher-y on you. I pride myself on paying attention to cultural nuances; it’s only fair to do that when you want to work in the world.

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

Two things troubled me throughout this time. Actually, I was troubled by more than two things, yet two things in particular gave me the impetus to continue this work and in this direction.

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

One thing was the inability of a lot of our girls to think critically. If I have ever been grateful for my experience as a long-time facilitator and now teacher, it was in this moment. Being able to break down the concept that you are trying to get your girls to see and develop, takes time, patience, energy and a certain gift, that educators develop.  Because I have been working with helping to develop high order thinking skills in my students through reading analysis and discussions that go below the surface (yay IB curriculum), I see how vital it is for girls to think critically. Our girls in Sierra Leone, and in other places, even here in Latin America, are not taught to question things. Not taught to go beyond what has been told. Not taught to dive. Taught to be comfortable with and stay at the status quo. This, you see, is by design. I pray for a world, where girls, youth in general are cultivated to see the depth in all things they are taught and to renounce accepting that things are just the way they are. I believe that this is a critical piece to development in our country and many countries with similar stories.

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

Secondly, I was astounded by the prevalence of girls (not necessarily ours), engaging in sexual acts with teachers to receive high grades. Yet, nothing moved me more monumentally, than when I chimed in to ask the girls which was
a more important issue to address, that a girl student was consistently getting the highest marks and that wasn’t fair, or that teachers were sleeping with their [minor] students in the first place. The girls responded in favor of the former. My heart jumped out of chest, slammed on the floor, nearly stayed there, until my fighting spirit picked it back up and said, “we can do this, one girl at a time.” 

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

Many people will approach my type of motivation with cynicism saying that you can’t change things like this in Africa. What I will say is that, I am sure that we can work on instilling in girls values that help them understand not only the moral issue that this phenomenon presents, but the drive to allow their own hard work to pay off. It’s not an easy thing. And in fact it may be lofty, but it is possible. Even if only one girl hears this message and if only one girl decides that she will be against these types of things, then that one girl will fight for herself to be better, and that same girl will eventually inspire another sister or fight for another one. So
this work, though challenging, will not be done in vain.

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

This is just the beginning for you always go back to find that missing piece of your heart…

Girls Empowerment Summit Sierra Leone 2013

<3