Still camera-less! But I’ve survived Girl Tech and Camp GLOW East! :D
Girl Tech:
What is Girl Tech?
“GirlTech Uganda is a professional development program for secondary
girl students in eastern, central, and western Uganda, with the
mission of empowering girls to pursue advanced education and careers
in science and technology. This program will include activities
related to health education, life skills, career development, computer
literacy, problem solving, and critical thinking. Activities will
center on science and technology concepts and experiments.” -Girl Tech Speaker’s Guide
My role at Girl Tech
So get this; I got to run the computer lab all week, complete with 20 working computers, a projector and superfast internet! I also had my own group for guided reading sessions during the week, which were really fun.
On the first day, I identified the faster learners and gave them a pink sticky note. We played with the program “paint”, just so I could get them working on their mouse skills. Click and drag, click, increase/decrease size of object, yadda yadda. The girls drew themselves in ten years, it was supercute! Several nurses and doctors. I wish our lab at the PTC had a projector, it made teaching computers SO easy!
For day two, we worked on MS Word. The girls really enjoyed typing--I think it’s because when they imagine people on computers, they imagine people typing. They typed about what they enjoyed at Girl Tech so far, what they learned and what they were looking forward to. Many girls said they loved the food, haha. But they also had enjoyed the practical experiments and the “Mad Science.”
On day three, we ventured into internetland. I had them get on a website called “Scale of the Universe (2).” (http://htwins.net/scale2/) Once I got them going, they explored it for the entire hour, and at the end we went around and talked about what we learned. I also learned a lot--do you know what a raffelesia is? Or how small a yoctometer is? Pretty neat stuff.
On the fourth day, I opened with Google Earth projected on the screen, and we flew around the world a bit. It was superfun. They were interested in seeing our homes in the US (so I had each counselor punch in their US address so we could fly to their homes), as well as Mexico and Angel Falls (because it was featured on the Scale of the Universe). After that, I had them explore a website called iwaswondering.org, which is all about women in science.
On the fifth day, I didn’t do computers and instead taught the session “Bringing Girl Tech Home.” It was superfun to hear what the girls had learned all week and the things that they felt were really important to teach their friends, family and neighbors at home. Many girls wanted to teach their girl friends about re-usable menstrual pads; how to make them and how to use them. Several also thought time and money-management were important. Some mentioned that people should know more about the water cycle and how we humans have influence on it. Others wanted to bring home mad-science experiments, and information about space (we talked a LOT about outer space). And overall, one of the most popular responses was how to use condoms properly.
On the last day, we had a science fair--it was pretty neat! The girls had worked really hard all week on their experiments. The girls had also launched bottle rockets, made Oobleck (a non-newtonian fluid), made volcanoes, went on a nature walk, observed the stars, seen a Ruben’s tube, participated in “The Tower of Strength” competition, saw an egg get sucked into a bottle, and more that I’m not remembering. SO MUCH FUN!
A note I received from a participant:
“Dear Mary,
Hullo, how are you feeling right now? Actually I am not happy because I am going to miss you and the other staff so much. I appreciate the effort you were using while you were teaching. Really I have leant a lot during computer study and I’ve even known what I never knew. Girl Tech Uganda has helped me acquire skills, knowledge and a career plan or goal setting for my future. I want to thank you and the staff for good work you’ve been doing this week. Thank you. Yours faithfully, Furaha (from the Saturn group)”
Camp GLOW East!
What is Camp GLOW?
“Eastern Camp GLOW is a camp for girls ages 13 - 15, that focuses on
empowerment activities including, but not limited to, health education, life skills, career goals, sports, creative arts and Ugandan
women in leadership roles (business, government, etc). The activities will help the girls gain skills to lead a happy, healthy and
successful life. This year is the first-ever regional Eastern Camp GLOW in Uganda. 80 girls will attend from all over the Eastern region
of the country. This camp will be run by ...our intelligent Ugandan women friends, and US Peace Corps Volunteers. This is an all
girls camp which means there will be no male counselors, however, a few male Peace Corps Volunteers will assist staff with the daily
activities throughout the week.”
My role at Camp GLOW East
I was a counselor! This meant that I had ten girls that I branded as lions and made wear bandanas to identify them all week. I slept in the dorm, ate with the girls, cleaned with them and did a bunch of fun learning activities as well. My girls were Dorcus, Prossy, Proscovia, Irene, Betty, Tracy, Brenda, Cecilia (Ciccy), Olivia and Constance.
Our Lion Cheer:
“I am not a lion! I’m a lioness! Graceful and fierce, you don’t wanna mess!
I am not a lion! I’m a lioness! I may be beautiful but I EAT FLESH!”
It was hilarious hearing the girls chant this. One rule at camp was that they couldn’t speak in their vernacular language, be it Lusoga, Lugisu, Lugwere or 10 other languages spoken in the East. Whenever I’d say “Kale!” my lions would growl at me, because I was using vernacular. To curb this, I had to find another word to use. I once said, “Okie dokie!” and the girls asked, “which language is that?” I explained that it was English, but a phrase rarely used. They made me use that instead of using kale, and after a while they were saying “okie dokie!” If you haven’t heard a bunch of Ugandan teenagers use a 1950‘s affirmative phrase, it’s pretty hilarious.
Throughout the week, we went to sessions about teamwork, life skills, health and arts and crafts. My girls really enjoyed learning about malaria, HIV and nutrition. In arts and crafts, the girls got to participate in painting a world map, make friendship bracelets and decorate money jars. TASO, an organization that educates about HIV/AIDs, came to do a presentation. The girls really enjoyed the drama, and learned about not giving up or giving in to older men. Every day there was an elective session, from which you could choose. My girls usually opted for the sport offered-volleyball, netball or football, but I chose the exercise, like kickboxing or pilates. I had the chance to teach some songs towards the end of the week, and I taught my favorite song from camp called “Linger.” It’s about how you don’t want to leave camp, but you’ll remember your friends. It always made me cry at camp, on the last day. The girls LOVED this song, and sang it about 10 times in a row at the session.
Right before lunch everyday, we’d play a different game. I think teaching organized games in Uganda is really important. It’s rare to find kids playing organized games where you have to follow rules, because following rules and being a good sport isn’t so much emphasized in PE like it is back in the US. The girls loved playing these games, like octopus tag, relay-races, obstacle courses, red-light-green-light, tug-of-war, and rock-paper-scissors tag (but in our version, snake-lion-bull tag). Our lions were champions of tug-of-war and the relay race (no surprise!) I also taught my group the cup game, inspired by Khayla (another PCV whom I met at Girl Tech). I carried around a stack of cups all week in case we had any down time. By the end of the week, my girls could do pretty OK at the cup game!
At the end of the week, we celebrated with a dance party and picture slide show. My girls said to me, “You won’t even recognize us when they start playing the music!” Ha, and they were right--those girls can MOVE! I got a note from Brenda before we left:
“OOh! Our beautiful mother Mary, we appreciate the love and care you have channeled into us, your little lionesses. Mary, we are going to miss you and your kind love I pray that God keps you alive forever so that we can meet again and (let) him guide you wherever you go. I appreciate the games that you taught us and the songs too. Mary I don’t know how I can appreciate you but I just say thanks and this comes from the bottom of my heart. Love you, goodnight, Brenda. (Lion)”
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I was both bummed and relieved that two camps were over. They’re just about the funnest, most productive thing I get to do in Peace Corps. Since then, I’ve been just relaxing to the MAXXX--I watched several movies and TV shows, got a pedicure in town and have been just hanging with friends. I promised myself I’d get outside and read to some kids today. PROMISE. On Saturday, I’m going to an introduction in Lweza, then I’m heading up to the FAR northwest corner of Uganda to make soap and stoves and see that corner of the country. I’m pretty pumped but also scared--I’ve never traveled that far yet! Immediately following that, I have what we call an “All Volunteer Conference” where we volunteers all get together and share ideas. I’m pretty pumped. If you don’t hear from me until then, don’t fret! I just don’t like to travel with my expensive electronics. :)
LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU ALL!
SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO JENNA! Thank you for the camera!!!!!!! :D
ANOTHER SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO MAGGIE’S MOM! Thank you for bringing the camera! Travel safely!
