Besides future planning and health activities what else can PCV’s teach REDES participants

In this clip the girls break the ice by playing a name game:

And finally a heartfelt song from the participants to the PCV’s and Mozambican facilitators who organized the Inhambane workshop:

This will also be my last REDES blog post so thank you for visiting with us during my year, please continue to tell your friends and family about the wonderful women of REDES here in Mozambique.

REDES has become a very well-known presence in Machanga.  Saturday and Sunday

nights are the only two in which my neighbor’s pulsing bass of Akon, Rick Ross, and Justin Bieber songs are drowned by an energetic orchestra emitted from the girl’s dormitory.  Young women, lots of them — 42 to be exact — proudly mimicking the sly moves of Richard Simmons, though perhaps with even more flamboyant pizazz than Richy himself.  Aerobics, broken by intervals of dance and train chains: these are the weekend nights of Machanga.

Though the energy of such events is enough to keep me happy, the girls were hungry for a challenge.  So we tore apart a capulana, made team headbands, and had the REDES girls of nearby Mangunde do the same.  Fifteen of my REDES girls and I travelled to Mangunde, and between the two schools, we presented a song, a dance, and a play, all composed with script and lyrics about HIV/AIDS awareness.  We ate some luscious xima n fixins and danced until we fell asleep.  With no prior warning, Mike (Mangunde’s REDES leader) and I were even asked (ie, forced) to display our own adeptness to Mozambican dance!  Though our girls were reserved upon arrival, they were all exchanging numbers and mother-watching-her-youngest-son-leave-for-college waves as our truck pulled away the following day.  The energy flowed in Mangunde until the event’s end, and almost certainly well after.

Thus far, my local efforts in REDES have been primarily focused toward inching my way through the gender barrier to developing trusting relationships with my girls.  In the coming semester and year, I hope to recognize a handful of student team leaders, responsible for educating younger students and the community about HIV/AIDS and women’s empowerment.

Awesome, awesome work PCV’s and REDES members. I like Mike’s (the second dancer) valiant attempt at traditional dance whilst  I still appreciate Mac’s (the first dancer) freewheeling spirit and enthusiasm. If you have a REDES story or have photos or videos to contribute please email: Agarland@elon.edu and don’t forget you can still follow us on Twitter:theREDESproject

This week hundreds of REDES facilitors, Peacecorps volunteers and REDES members are meeting at conferences all over Mozambique, we should be able to start posting pictures and stories from these conferences in a couple weeks but for now let’s look at some pictures and notes from the one of the REDES Training of Trainers (TOT) that got the volunteers and facilitators ready to have our annual member conference. Enjoy:

Central TOT:

The Central region’s REDES ToT took place at the ADPP in Chimoio. Twenty three Mozambican facilitators from Sofala, Manica and Tete provinces attended the conference.

 
Pictures 1 and 2: central facilitators participating in an activity that demonstrates the rapid spread of HIV/AIDSPicture 3: Catarina, a REDES facilitator from Sofala, helping to show the advantages of getting tested for HIV/AIDS

Picture 3: Catarina, a REDES facilitator from Sofala, helping to show the advantages of getting tested for HIV/AIDS

Picture 4 : Redes facilitators giving practice sessions to one and other to get feedback

Picture 5 : REDES facilitators from Tete and Manica on the last day of the Chimoio ToT

Picture 6 : OFELIA from our last post!

Picture 7 : Professora Redi from Tete province showing her REDES certificate

Great work facilitators and PCV’s! Next week more TOT pics and possibly videos! Remember REDES is on Twitter, @TheREDESproject and if you have questions or your own story for the REDES blog please email Agarland@elon.edu

Eu sou Ofélia Vitorino Vasco, trabalho com o grupo de REDES desde 2006, a apaixonei-me pelo trabalho de REDES depois de participar na conferência, onde aprendi muito nas secções qui deram-nos, pois tenho aplicado na minha vida.

O Objectivo da conferência era de dar ferramentas às raparigas para elas próprias passaram a formar outras raparigas. Assim Depois de conferência fui capaz de formar clube de raparigas com a voluntária que estava comigo em 2006.

Ao longo da minha história com REDES, eu tive uma meta que era de trazer algumas raparigas do clube para uma conferência. No ano passado consegui dar esa oportunidade a duas raparigas do clube, foi muito importante e satisfatório para mim, trabalhei muito para alcançar tal meta, senti-me muito orgulhosa de mim mesma, além disso eu gosto de ajudar e trabalhar com a rapariga pois eu gosto de ajudar e trabalhar com a rapariga pois eu acredito na capacidade da mulher e ela precisa da ajuda. Para desenvolver as suas habilidades e deixar de ser vulnerável. Além disso para ela adquir a auto-confiança, melhorar o desempenho e dêsenvolver na sociedade.

My name is Ofelia Vitorino Vasco, I have worked with a REDES group since 2006. I was passionate about the work of REDES after a conference, where I learned lots in the sessions we had, I have applied many lessons in my life.

The objective of the conference was to train girls so that they could train others. Therefore after the conference I was able to train a girls club with the (PC) volunteer that was with me in 2006.

During my time with REDES, I had the goal that was to bring some girls from our club to the conferences. Last year I was able to give this opportunity for two girls of the club, it was very important to me and was also satisfactory for me. I worked hard to get my set goal. I felt proud of myself and besides that I liked to help and work with the girls, because I believe in women’s competence and that we can help to develop her skills and not leave them to be vulnerable. And beside that for the women to acquire self confidence will improve the performance and help to develop society.

Thank you Ofelia for your story and for your service to the young women of Mozambique.

Judi was my original counterpart. She was a young teacher whom I randomly met while passearing in Chimoio. She was outgoing and exuberant, intelligent and full of ambition. I knew right away that I wanted her as my counterpart. In the role as counterpart and facilitator she flourished. The little girls adored her (someone smart and beautiful who looked just like them), and she adored being able to provide them with guidance and instruction. She also loved being around myself and the rest of the volunteers. She participated in the TOT in Quelimane and it was obvious she was absorbing every lesson. She took copious notes and worked and re-worked all of her lesson plans asking countless questions on how to perfect her teaching style as well as the information that she would be presenting at the conference. Not only did she do FABULOUS at the conference but what she learned about teaching and lesson planning has served her well in her new career as a Director of the Gondola Youth and Technology Education District. She says that countless of her colleagues, who are much older than herself, are amazed at all she knows about education. In her position she observes the lessons of various teachers throughout the district and then gives them advice and recommendations on how to improve their teaching techniques. She confided to me that she owes most of what she knows to the REDES trainings and conferences. My heart beamed with pride.

Thanks for your story Meghan. If you want to tell your story of service with REDES please email the blog: Agarland@elon.edu

Chamo-me Cristina Jorge Sande.  Sou Formadora de teatros e facilitadora da REDES no distrito de Mopeia.  Há 03 anos de existência já participei nas trocas de experiencia, a conferencia da REDES e já facilitei a REDES em Nicoadala, Morrumbala, Mopeia, Quelimane, Mocuba e também em Alto Molocue.

As temas mais focaste foram o que é REDES, o papel de facilitadora, comunicação com raparigas positivamente, apoio e conforto, HIV/SIDA, saúde reprodutiva da mulheres, papel de género e igualdade de género.  Eu gosto muito de trabalhar e me orgulho por ser facilitador da REDES adoro.

My name is Cristina Jorge Sande. I am a theatre trainer as well as a REDES facilitator in Mopeia district. For the 3 years that REDES has been in my district I have participated in meetings, experience exchanges, the REDES conferences, and I have facilitated sessions in Nicoadala, Morrumbala, Mopeia, Quelimane, Mocuba and also in Alto Molocue.

The topics that we focused on were: Whats is REDES, the role of the (REDES) facilitator, communication with girls in positive living, help and comfort, HIV/AIDS, reproductive women’s health, gender roles and gender equality. I very much enjoy my work with REDES and am very proud to be a REDES facilitator.

Remember if you have a fond memory of REDES or any pics you want to see added to the blog please email: Agarland@elon.edu

Also remember that REDES is on Twitter as:theREDESproject

follow us and retweet our blog posts.

Chama-se Marisa Ancha Tamele, 28 anos idade, docente de física e facilitadora da REDES a 4 anos na Escola Secundária 3 de Fevereiro.

Fiz a troca de experiência com a escala secundáris de Cambine e fizemos necidagem de lixo em particular primeo de garafes plasticas, tampas de refresco e caixote de papel e fizemos a limpeza na escola.

Esta troca ajudou as raparigas a trocar a experiências com os outros raparigas (Cambine) desenvolvendo habilidade e a valoujar as actividade.

Falamos a importânceis do trabalho em grupo e a importância de manter ambiente escola limpo. Criamos amizades e divertimos muito fui muito, muito bom!!

My name is Marisa Ancha Tamele, I’m 28 years old, a teacher of physics and have been a facilitator of REDES for the past 4 years at “3rd of February” secondary school.

I (and my REDES group) shared an experience with Cambine Secondary Schools, and we recycled trash, in particular: plastic bottles, the caps of glass bottles, and packing cases of paper, we cleaned up the school.

This exchange of experience helped the girls to share experiences with other girls from Cambine, developed skills and gave value to our activities. We discussed the importance of the group work and also the importance of maintaining a clean environment for the school. We created friendships and enjoyed our time. It was a really really good (experience)!!

This week’s REDES story is very personal for me because it came from a PCV who helped me establish the REDES program at my school. I am volunteer who works at an IFP (junior college for future teachers). I had some difficulty establishing a women’s empowerment group at my school considering, A.) I am male and B.) I had opened my site so they had never had a PCV or knew about our secondary projects. Another volunteer was helping me with my action plan, but she did not understand really how an IFP works. I chose to get involved with the REDES program because I wanted my students, who would be future teachers, to learn about REDES and become REDES facilitators themselves.  Beyond the difficulties with fellow staff members I was also having trouble talking to my REDES members. Students were interested but frequently they would miss scheduled meetings, and the times for meetings kept changing because of the complicated and full IFP schedule. My students wake up at 4:30 and are occupied pretty much continuously until 10 at night. My meetings were a disaster, and I was becoming increasingly frustrated and was getting ready to give up until I met Katie at a PC conference and she offered insight as to how she facilitated with her REDES group at her IFP. The answer she gave was simple, have your meetings early in the morning during the student’s “plantoes” (physical labor, gardening or cleaning the school) time. She told me the female trainees would enjoy getting a break once a week and because they had plantoes at the same time we could just establish a same time/same day schedule that everyone could remember. She also gave me other tips about  REDES at IFP’s but I was most excited about her scheduling solution. I took her advice and started having meetings each Wednesday at 5 AM. This strategy was wildly successful, the meetings became more productive and the group from last year produced 3 new REDES groups in Inhambane province at primary schools! This year we moved the time up to a more sensible 5:30 but I am still having meetings thanks to Katie’s suggestions. Thank you Katie for helping to inspire young women through your work as a PCV but thank you too for inspiring other PCV’s like me.

Katie Doane-

Visiting a REDES group at EPC Tenga in Maputo Province in 2010, I observed lessons from my former teacher trainee, Adélia.  She started a REDES group at her school in addition to being a new primary school teacher that year.  While visiting her to observe her teach for the first time, in her own classroom, there were many girls sitting in the front row.  They were answering questions, coming to the board to help “teach” the class, and speaking in loud, clear voices.  I then noticed that one of these young girls had been at the REDES conference.  Upon asking Adélia for more information about the girls in front, she said that the front row girls participated in her REDES group.  I was very proud of the conference participant I noticed sitting in front, Carolina.  It seemed that her confidence and willingness to speak publicly were not just constrained to the conference week but that Carolina was continuing to develop these skills in her classroom with the positive guide and role model of Adélia, her REDES group facilitator and classroom teacher.  This showed to me that the conference does more than we will ever see or know to influence these girls’ lives; I did not have the chance to visit all the classrooms that had former REDES participants in them, but from the one classroom I did visit, I saw that former participation in REDES formed a bond between teachers and students, as well as motivated girls to take ownership of their education.  From the one classroom I witnessed, I noticed how REDES changes where girls sit in the classroom, it changes how they speak, it changes who they are and who they will be.

If you have any questions regarding REDES or would like to share your story please email me: Agarland@elon.edu

We are just a little bit behind on gathering photos and reflections from our TOT’s but after meeting with representatives from each conference this past weekend it sounds like great things will come out of each and every regional meeting. Instead what we have today is another story from the very first REDES national conference. This one has a few twists and turns, but I promise a happy ending. This post comes to us from RPCV Heather Jordan, who currently works in another Portuguese speaking African country, Angola. Heather works for World Vision, which is described on its website as: “… a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

Working in nearly 100 countries around the world, World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.”

Here is Heather’s story of the journey for her REDES group to the first REDES conference:

I took three girls from Nampula Province, Emília, Arcélia and Ilda, to the first REDES conference in Inhambane in 2005. It was a really big deal for the girls to travel so far from their families and it was a daunting task for me to be so responsible for my students. I had to convince Ilda´s father that there would be no boys at the conference before he allowed her to come. The girls were excited about every aspect of the trip, from their first plane ride to the opportunity of seeing Inhambane Province.

The Nampula Delegation´s journey had a dramatic start when we arrived at the airport and there was no electricity. Of course, I should have been known better, but  I had only reserved our  tickets and had planned on purchasing them with my debit card the day of the trip. No electricity meant no credit card machine. The airline company was completely unsympathetic. Emília´s family had come to the airport to send her off. I looked back at them in panic – how could I tell them we wouldn´t be able to go because I had been overly confident in the electricity grid? A South African businessman saw me frantically pacing the airport floor and asked me what was going on. I explained that I was a teacher taking three students to an empowerment conference and I couldn´t purchase the tickets because the electricity was out. He apologized that he was unable to help because he was flying all the way to Maputo and we were getting off in Beira. But twenty minutes before the flight closed he came back to me and asked, “How much do you need?” I needed 200 dollars, in cash, to be able to buy our tickets. He opened his wallet and counted out the money. He even asked if I needed more. I couldn´t help it,  I burst into tears of gratitude and said I would pay him back, over and over. “I know you will,” he said, “but I think you need to get your girls on the plane – they´re already boarding.” I purchased the tickets, checked in and the four of us ran down the runway to the plane. We were the very last to board. When I met up with this man about a month later in Maputo, I paid him back the money and gave him a REDES t-shirt that the REDES organizers had wanted to give him. I asked him how he could give so much moeny to a complete stranger? He explained that he just wanted to be supportive of a teacher and her students trying to do something positive. I will always remember this man as an inspiration in generosity.

The rest of the trip and the conference were amazing. The girls were a little nervous once the plane took flight – there was some motion sickness, there was later some home sickness too.  In Beira we caught the bus to Chimoio and met up with the rest of the group. The next day we all took a bus to Inhambane to meet up with the group from Southern Mozambique. On the last day of the conference, I watched all the girls say goodbye to the new friends they had made and I hoped that they would remember the experience being as beautiful as I will always remember it being.

Thank you for contacting us Heather, and please any RPCV’s (or PCV’s) who have stories they want to share you can email Andrew Garland at Agarland@elon.edu with stories or pictures.