Exciting Exciting!!
After almost a year in Senegal, I’ve begun to narrow my interests and activities down to those I feel most passionately about. In past entries, I’ve alluded to the fact that gender inequality is a major issue in Senegal, and one that touches close to my heart. I am a Small Enterprise Development Volunteer and must meet certain sector-related goals; however, Peace Corps. allows its volunteers to work with secondary projects in areas of their interest—in my case, youth development and gender equality. Luckily for me, there is a Peace Corps. Senegal Gender and Development organization (SeneGAD) that organizes an annual scholarship for girls in middle schools throughout Senegal and made getting involved in my first gender and development project quite easy.
In my opinion, the only thing worse than the state of schools in and around Tambacounda, is the lack of opportunities given to girls living and trying to go to school in and around Tambacounda. Therefore, it would be an understatement to say I jumped at the opportunity to offer girls in my schools a scholarship and some support in continuing their studies. Over a two month time span, I visited three area middle schools, interviewed twelve scholarship candidates at each, read essays about their hopes and dreams for the future, and visited their families to get an idea about their home lives. From there I sat down to start a recommendation process of comparing poor girls with poorer girls, trying to decide which one of the twelve girls at each of the three schools deserved and needed the scholarship most. To say the least, it was one of the most emotionally draining experiences of my life. Working on the scholarship application process at these schools, I got to know the girls, see the conditions they lived and learned in, and gained a greater understanding of the obstacles they face and the things they can accomplish if they are given some support. It was one of the hardest and most fulfilling things I’ve ever done, and I now realize it is something I will continue to work on long after my Peace Corps. service is completed.
Naturally, I voiced interest in continued involvement with the scholarship application process and last weekend I attended and assisted with reviewing the applications from the other 40 participating schools. I also heard that the National SeneGAD Scholarship Coordinator position was up for election and decided to apply. I’m excited to report that the SeneGAD committee chose me to coordinate next year’s scholarship and scholarship related events! I have a lot of work ahead of me, but my whole heart is in this and I look forward to more opportunities working with great people and meeting more promising young Senegalese girls.
Currently, a fellow volunteer and I are organizing an all-day leadership training to recognize and celebrate the hard work and potential of all the scholarship candidates in the Tamba area. I am also planning to coordinate a French language penpal network between the scholarship candidates and promising young American girls also studying French.
My experiences working on the scholarship and with women and girls in Senegal have shown me that gender equality is the key to sustainable development for Senegal. Senegalese women are strong, bright, and with support, can contribute substantially to the development and betterment of life for all Senegalese people. I look forward to the rest of my service and getting the opportunity to learn from and hopefully assist more Senegalese women and girls in helping themselves.
If you have any ideas for providing support to scholarship candidates, please contact me! I’d be glad to hear any suggestions.
In my opinion, the only thing worse than the state of schools in and around Tambacounda, is the lack of opportunities given to girls living and trying to go to school in and around Tambacounda. Therefore, it would be an understatement to say I jumped at the opportunity to offer girls in my schools a scholarship and some support in continuing their studies. Over a two month time span, I visited three area middle schools, interviewed twelve scholarship candidates at each, read essays about their hopes and dreams for the future, and visited their families to get an idea about their home lives. From there I sat down to start a recommendation process of comparing poor girls with poorer girls, trying to decide which one of the twelve girls at each of the three schools deserved and needed the scholarship most. To say the least, it was one of the most emotionally draining experiences of my life. Working on the scholarship application process at these schools, I got to know the girls, see the conditions they lived and learned in, and gained a greater understanding of the obstacles they face and the things they can accomplish if they are given some support. It was one of the hardest and most fulfilling things I’ve ever done, and I now realize it is something I will continue to work on long after my Peace Corps. service is completed.
Naturally, I voiced interest in continued involvement with the scholarship application process and last weekend I attended and assisted with reviewing the applications from the other 40 participating schools. I also heard that the National SeneGAD Scholarship Coordinator position was up for election and decided to apply. I’m excited to report that the SeneGAD committee chose me to coordinate next year’s scholarship and scholarship related events! I have a lot of work ahead of me, but my whole heart is in this and I look forward to more opportunities working with great people and meeting more promising young Senegalese girls.
Currently, a fellow volunteer and I are organizing an all-day leadership training to recognize and celebrate the hard work and potential of all the scholarship candidates in the Tamba area. I am also planning to coordinate a French language penpal network between the scholarship candidates and promising young American girls also studying French.
My experiences working on the scholarship and with women and girls in Senegal have shown me that gender equality is the key to sustainable development for Senegal. Senegalese women are strong, bright, and with support, can contribute substantially to the development and betterment of life for all Senegalese people. I look forward to the rest of my service and getting the opportunity to learn from and hopefully assist more Senegalese women and girls in helping themselves.
If you have any ideas for providing support to scholarship candidates, please contact me! I’d be glad to hear any suggestions.
posted by Ashleigh | 12:27 PM
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