Post: Banikoara
Pick up Location: Parakou
Project Description:
3 day girls’ workshop for 14 girls from CEG Banikoara. We will select these girls from the incoming 3me students. Activities covered will include educational options after the BEPC, how to study effectively, and how to better work in group settings. We will also invite the local midwife to discuss reproductive health and family planning. The CPS coordinator will come and speak about the Code of the Family. Perhaps most importantly, we will invite 5-8 professional women from around Banikoara to participate in a roundtable discussion about the obstacles they encounter as working women with all the girls, and then to have the girls job shadow them for a half day. The girls will then present to the group the activities they witness, as well as share the coping strategies of the women.
Dates of Project: June 19-21
Number of People Involved: 14 girls, 2 CEG teachers,1 PCV, 5-8 professional women (including the CPS and local midwife)
Budget:
| Item | Number | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| T-Shirts | 25 | 25.000 |
| Certificates | 14 | 11.200 |
| Notebooks | 14 | 1.400 |
| Pens | 14 | 1.400 |
| Lunch | 16 | 4.800 |
| Photocopies | 6.200 | |
| Total | 50.000 |
Amount Requested: 50.000 CFA
Comments
GAD Coordinator Comments: Recommend funding
GAD Financial Officer Comments: Sounds good to me. I especially like the job-shadowing and sharing afterwards, I think that’s a great idea.
Closing Report
Post: Banikoara
Date(s) of Project: June 26-28
Brief Description of Project:
This project consisted of a 3 day workshop with 14 girls from 5me and 4me from CEG Bnaikoara. On the first day, we had a session on study options after 3me which asked the question how to choose a “serie” in the second half of CEG and other technical school options and requirements. This was followed by a session on how to study and finally the lunch break. In the afternoon, we invited several professional women (3 came) to come and talk to the girls about their experiences growing up and how they juggle their lives.
For the first half of the second day, the girls were divided up and went to job shadow different professional women in the community. They were sent to the mayor’s office, the radio station, a prominent boutique, and the maternity to see what a woman’s professional life was like and discuss difficulties and rewards of the women’s work and to get advice from them in general. At the end of the day, we had a group work activity and then the girls presented their experiences at job shadowing.
On the third day, we had a guest speaker discuss the Family Code with the girls. The midwife and a science teacher then spent a few hours talking about reproductive health and family planning. This was followed by the closing ceremony where we presented the girls with their t-shirts and certificates.
Number of People Involved and Age Range:
14 girls, aged 14-18
2 male teachers, aged 35-45?
1 male guest speaker, aged about 35
7 professional women, aged 25-45?
What Were the Goals/Objectives of This Project?
The main objective of this workshop was to put the girls involved in touch with women in their community who are role models in professional settings. In addition, we wanted to generally encourage the girls to continue with their studies and give them more information to make certain life decisions (sex, further studies, etc).
Were Those Goals/Objectives Met?
Yes. The 14 girls participated all 3 days of the workshop, and came in contact with 7 professional women from Banikoara.
What Were the Strengths of This Project?
The involvement and extreme enthusiasm of the women involved were really the greatest strength of this project. When they came in to speak on the evening of the first day, we gave them the floor with very little direction of the discussion and they had so much to say to the girls. They felt pretty deeply that it was their responsibility to help steer the girls on the “good path.”
What Were the Challenges/Weaknesses of This Project?
Scheduling and having things start on time was as ever, a challenge.
Do You Consider This Project Completed? YES
Budget:
| Item | Number | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| T-Shirts | 25 | 25.000 |
| Lunch | 16 | 8.000 |
| Photocopies | 232 | 5.800 |
| Pens | 14 | 1.400 |
| Notebooks | 14 | 1.400 |
| Certificates | 14 | 7.000 |
| Total | 48.600 |
Remaining Funds: 1.400 CFA
Note: Remaining funds deposited in Parakou cashbox.
