At the end of the project, Lindsey tallied up all the points and had a big closing ceremony where she gave awesome prizes to all the participants based on how many points they had earned. Prizes included practical but highly valued items like buckets, bowls, and fabric. In case you're curious, the whole project, including an opening ceremony and a closing ceremony with a sound system and snacks, prizes, teaching materials, etc, cost about $700. It really is amazing how far money goes here (and how much you can do with little or no money!). I was lucky enough to get up there for the closing ceremony program. Here are some pictures from the event:
All the Peace Corps ladies at the program (minus Lindsey, who was a wee bit preoccupied!)
Lindsey's baby mommas waiting for the program to start
Kids watching from the shade inside the skill center
Time to kill? It's obviously time for a dance party.
Getting started
Lindsey kicking butt with an awesome speech in Wolof. Love their asobi fabric!
Baby mamas performing a drama demonstrating what they learned in their lessons. I think this one was about proper care for skin infections.
Attentive audience for a drama
Lindsey handing out prizes
2 comments:
The ambassador's comments remind me of something that the founder and initial president of Bryn Mawr College, M. Carey Thomas, said: "only our failures ONLY marry."
Yes, marriage and having children are both very important parts of life and can bring tremendous happiness and fulfillment if one chooses wisely, works hard at the relationship and is lucky. But if a woman's accomplishments in life include marriage and child-rearing alone, then usually, the woman has not utilized all of her talents, capabilities and education. Both "only"s in the expression are important.
Debbie
Thanks for your comment Debbie. I would like to add that it's important to remember that a woman can contribute to society and her family's wellbeing and achieve significant success in areas outside what is traditionally considered "work." Two easy examples include: participation in children's activities, both in and outside of school (school board, PTO, coaching sports, etc); and volunteer work with religious and other charitable organizations. These activities are hugely valuable in many ways, so we should be careful not to shortchange or overlook them.
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