May 6, 2009

FAWEGAM (Forum for African Women Educationalists of the Gambia) has a program called "Take Your Daughters to Work Day". During this program 25 girls from the provinces are sent to the capital where they participate in a 4 day workshop. They stay with a host-mother - a successful female role model who agrees to take care of one girl for 3 nights. They attend lectures, programs, visit the University, play games, et cetera, et cetera. I had to choose 2 girls from my school to attend this program. I choose the smartest and most well behaved girls in our school,
Mariama:
and Fatoumata:

Both girls are exceptionally bright, hard-working and I pray for them to have a good future. I can imagine how happy they were to attend this program and what a great change it was for them! Coming from the village, living with their simple-minded mothers and fathers, farming all their lives, attending a rural school - and then suddenly living with those sophisticated Kombo ladies, going for lectures, seeing the capital of their country. It had to be one of the most exciting things that happened to them in a long time.

Me and Lamin took a donkey cart so we can travel the 10k to the road and meet them when they were coming back. I did not want my girls to walk that far on foot, although donkey is slower then walking.

We met them on the road. They were tired, hungry, it was late, and they were not able to shut up. Ms. Toola, we went to that place and they made us break into pairs and we did this, Ms. Toola we did that and then that woman came and she told us about this.... It went on and on and on. What a perfect happy experience!