Last week seven Peace Corps Volunteers
from the Androy and Anôsy regions of Madagascar came together to
hold a 'Girls Leading Our World' (GLOW) camp in Fort-Dauphin.
Twenty-three girls participated in the camp, which was facilitated by
the PCVs with the support of six Malagasy chaperones. The five-day
camp provided these promising young girls with the opportunity to
learn about leadership and gender equality, as well as develop the
skills they will need to become leaders and role models in their
communities.
Day One
The
first day of camp opened with a walking tour of Fort-Dauphin led by
some of our friends from the English Center of Fort-Dauphin. Many of
the girls from the remote Androy region had never visited the city
before, so for them the tour was an eye-opening experience. The tour
ended at the Fasamainty cultural center, where the girls learned
about QMM's famous ilmenite mine just north of the city.
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| Campers during the walking tour of Fort-Dauphin |
In
the afternoon PCVs and chaperones led sessions about gender equality
and self-esteem. The campers learned about the difference between
biological sex and culturally-defined gender roles, and that they
should feel confident in themselves and their skills. These sessions
set the stage for the central message of the camp: that women can and
should be successful, active members of their communities.
Day Two
Our
second day of GLOW camp began with a tour of the QMM mine and the
Mandena Nature Reserve, which was set up by QMM/Rio Tinto. After
lunch the girls met with a career panel featuring successful Malagasy
women working in the fields of government, development, health, and
business. These women told their stories and gave the girls advice
about how to pursue their dreams.
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| GLOW campers meet the career panel |
Day Three
Day
three focused on health. In the morning a group of trainers from
Population Services
International (PSI) gave a presentation on HIV/AIDS, STIs, and birth
control. In the afternoon the girls met with our chaperones and the
female PCVs for a frank discussion about sex and relationships,
something which is often a taboo subject in Malagasy society. Our
last session of the day featured a presentation from the local
organization Trano Aro Zo on the rights of women and children.
After
a long day of rather serious discussions, the girls were ready for a
break. That evening we organized an American-style slumber party,
complete with soda, popcorn, and a movie.
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| PSI trainers teach the girls about HIV/AIDS |
Day Four
The
penultimate day of GLOW camp focused on giving the girls useful life
skills. A representative from PACT gave a presentation on leadership,
and another woman from the micro-finance organization FIVOY taught the campers about financial management.
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| Financial Management: a camper presents her team's proposed budget for the months of April and May |
Day Five
The
final day of GLOW camp began with a trip to the English Center of
Fort-Dauphin, where the girls met with students and teachers and
learned about the English language resources available in the city.
This was followed by a trip to the famous Libanona beach. After a
quick trip to the market to buy gifts for their families (giving away
gifts after a trip is a Malagasy tradition), the girls met with a
representative from Peace Corps, who explained the organization's
history, goals, and methods.
After
this came our closing ceremony, where the girls received their
completion certificates and gave brief speeches about what they
learned at camp. The PCVs were also presented with a gift of
traditional Tandroy wicker hats. Several girls from the village of
Ambanisarika then performed the traditional Tandroy dance. After this
things quickly escalated, and soon everyone was dancing. The dance
party continued well into the evening, as the girls celebrated the
successful completion of camp with their new friends.
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| GLOW girls dancing on the last night |
