“Why Girl’s Education?”
This precious life we are given is all about the choices we make for ourselves. At the beginning of this journey, I simply said that I wanted to be present. Now, I realize that it’s beyond just “being present,” but it’s the way you consciously decide to display your presence. It’s choosing to put a smile on my face or on the face of someone else and laugh every moment I get the chance to. It’s choosing to dance my heart out when they girls start dancing. It’s choosing to give each and every person I come across a hug, because we all deserve love and to be loved. It’s choosing to go into class each day and give my full energy and absolute best, because that is what these beautiful girls deserve.
The summer session has officially come to a close, and I have wrapped up teaching my Public Health class. I just watched my babies perform at graduation and had a proud mom moment. Their ability to convey their knowledge and passion with such undeniable and powerful conviction never fails to blow me away. These girls are the living and breathing proof of why Starfish believes in girl’s education. They will go beyond just “making a difference,” their voices and ideas will truly change this world.
Thinking back to the beginning of the summer, just before I had left for The Gambia, I remember not having the slightest idea of what it was that I would be doing for my class. There was literally no preparation, and even though I tried to Listen to Aunty Yassin and “go with the flow,” it low-key drove me certifiably insane. However, as I write this now and reflect back, I understand how intentional this was and how successful it proved. Being forced to go with the flow each and every day, and not having to stick to some structured syllabus really allowed me the flexibility and creative freedom I often lack in my collegiate academic setting. More than anything, and most importantly, it allowed me to teach from my heart, about issues that I was passionate about and things that I found to be affecting the daily lives of my students as young women in The Gambia.
Through our class sessions, my eyes were opened to countless fresh new perspectives and viewpoints I had never considered. Each day in class served as an open discussion and safe space for students, where they were able to openly ask questions and talk about things that they might otherwise not be able to talk about within their families or communities. I pushed them to speak their voices and get more comfortable speaking about topics that are not only taboo, but are viewed negatively by society, such as… periods. By the end of that specific class, my goal was literally to have them talk about their periods and vaginas proudly because menstruation is a natural and beautiful part of being a woman and is literally THE reason people exist on this earth (the rant could go on, but I’ll end here).
At times it was unbearingly difficult and heartbreaking to hear about some of the issues and obstacles they faced as young women in The Gambia. Some of the things that were expressed, which society had forced upon them, truly went against everything I believed in, and it challenged me down to my core. I understood that it was not my place to impose my beliefs from a “western perspective” on what is right/wrong or what should/shouldn’t be done. At the same time, I was very cognizant of the fact that these ideas are so deeply engrained in the society and culture that me going up in front of a class and preaching against a cultural norm would change just about nothing.
Yet, the most valuable and feasible thing I realized I could do in my power was to open the dialogue to these taboo topics to break the culture of silence and stigma, whose burden is disproportionately shared by women. Rather than telling them what they should do, I tried to provide them the basic information and risks about many of these practices and ideas. With this knowledge base, my hope is that they would be able to make informed decisions in the future to disrupt societal and cultural norms, and ultimately better the following generations.
What has continued to inspire me daily Is the utmost strength, dedication, and resilience these girls have demonstrated towards achieving their education and bettering their futures. You would never know what hardships or obstacles these young women are facing at home, because each day they come beautifully dressed, with beaming smiles, ready to learn. I am repeatedly amazed by their level of enthusiasm and engagement both inside and outside of class. Frankly, their insane levels of energy and enthusiasm for everything is incredible. It was often more of a problem to have to cut them off because so many wanted to share rather than the students remaining silent. The insightful and thought provoking comments that were made never failed to leave me stunned, and I can strongly assert that these girls have knowledge and passion beyond their years, and are certainly beyond me when I was their age. Having seen the amount they have grown in the past 5 weeks, I’m thrilled and cannot even imagine the inspirational women they are destined to become.
“Why girl’s education? Because here at Starfish International we believe that girls have the power to change the world.” **mic drop**
–Nyima Sarr, Communications Director, Starfish International
