Maids Literacy Course

Things have been pretty hectic here, recently. Some more GENSEN interns showed up a few weeks ago, so I've had a lot of people to talk to and hang out with, which has been great. Another SEM intern came a few days ago, as well, although we're not really sure what he's doing yet. As for me, I'm continuing my Kiva & SEM updates. However, the maid's literacy class is not going so well. It's been so long since I posted that I never really talked about the class.

In Dakar, maids are called "bonnes". They are mostly 15 (or so) year old girls who come from the rural villages to live with and work for Dakar families. Both homestay families in Dakar that I've lived with have had maids. They're not just for the rich, or even well-off. The maids cook, clean, and do laundry. Sometimes they help take care of the younger children, although that isn't their main role. Almost all of these young women are illiterate, and most of them do not speak French. Some come to Dakar for a season, during the vacation, so that they can make money to continue their studies and stay in school. However, most of them seem to have no better options than to work in Dakar for awhile, and then return to the village and marry. Most of them will never learn French, and never learn to read.

A Fulbright scholar a few years ago set up a literacy program for some of these women. Sounds great, but of course, unless a program like that is partnered with a very stable NGO, after the original funding dries up and the Fulbright scholar leaves things tend to go to hell. So right now, even though this program was sort of partnered with GENSEN, they are in danger of failing. Ibrahima, the teacher, hasn't been paid in months. (Although sometimes flaky and prone to not showing up for class, he's kind of a saint. He's told us that even if we can't get enough funding to pay him he will continue to teach the class for free, because these girls deserve an education.) The elementary school whose rooms they use (Class is 6:30-8pm three times a week) is going to start charging them for the space, and they can't afford that. The classrooms are falling apart as it is, the girls are great but don't always show up, and never on time, and they have no curriculum to speak of. GENSEN has decided they want to cut this program loose, so a fellow intern is looking to find another, bigger NGO to work with them.

Does anyone reading this blog have any connections with Oxfam, or big global NGOs that fund women's literacy initiatives?

I'm trying to help them out, in various ways. Mostly, though, when I go to the class to sit in on a lesson, I end up teaching the whole class. This happened twice last week, when Ibrahima didn't show up. I didn't have a lesson or anything planned but I just sort of improvised as I went along.

The thing is, I love teaching. It's not What I Want To Do When I Grow Up, but it's one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done. I'd love to come back here and teach these girls to read and help set them up with supplies and an actual curriculum. But I'm not sure, with only a few weeks left here, what I can do for them.

Anyway, I'm in Diourbel now, doing more updates for SEM & Kiva, and visiting my friend Ellen, who is a peace corps volunteer here. I wrote about her last time. It's nice to see her again, and Diourbel is hot but nice. Very mosquito infested. I'm going to get my hair braided. Appropriation of culture aside, it's too hot to have such long hair without braids. :)

Sorry for such a disjointed post, but wasn't sure when I'd get to update again!

XOXO,
Robin