a Peace Corps Tanzania blog - Girls Empowerment Conference

       After 4 months of preparing and planning, of writing grants (numerous additions/revisions), visiting potential guest speakers, copying and correlating information packets and various little things…..and WOOHOO. I, along with two other Peace Corps Volunteers and Tanzanian counterparts conducted a kick-ass Girls’ Empowerment Conference. It took place 6-10 June 2008 at a nearby boarding school. Ten girls were selected from three schools to participate in life skills sessions (Relationship, Decision-making and Communication Skills), AIDS/HIV sessions and general training to be peer leaders.   

    

   

    
    Here in Tanzania the difference between female and male performance in school is extreme. Here the minimum expectation is that a girl finishes primary school (8^th grade) and marries well. Numerous people in the government and education system are trying to change this but, as we all know change takes time. HIV/AIDS is a known problem here in Africa, with Tanzania having a prevalence of around 8.5%. However, in my region/state it has been recorded that 17.2% its residents were recorded as HIV-positive. My region/state is especially vulnerable because of road transportation between bordering Zambia and Malawi is fueling the prostitution market. And stuides have shown that the greater the gender discrimination in societies and the lower the position of women, the more negatively they are affected by HIV. So we many peace corps volunteers like to lead Girls' Empowerment Conferences.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well everything worked out. Our counterparts (Tanzanian teachers) were a great help since the conference was all in Swahili and even though Amber, Sky and I are fairly fluent there are some words/explanations that we lack. The 30 girls that were selected were all enthusiastic. They took seriously their new roles as peer leaders and educators. The last night the girls performed various skits/songs/lectures for about 100 girls at the school we were staying to share the information they learned. I felt like a parent must feel when they realize their kids are “all grown up and thriving”. For example, one group I worked with did a condom demonstration (female and male condoms) and provided relevant facts. First, you have to realize that Tanzania is a very conservative country where a girl wearing a skirt above her knees is considered scandalous. So I was very pleased when I first asked for volunteers to redo a condom demonstration in front of 100 students that half of them raised their hands. And when the chosen girls did their presentation it was very detailed and informative (with a few laughs). I feel like the girls will all make great peer leaders and help others. Mission accomplished.