Don't you dare say all
negative that it's a
teenage thing
or it's only because I'm a
girl.
These feelings make me
better.
They make me ready.
They make me present.
They make me strong.
I am an emotional creature.
- Eve Ensler
I
had the amazing opportunity to volunteer at Ocean Academy high school on the
island of Caye Caulker, Belize, during the month of March. Among other things,
I was lucky enough to be involved with the Female Leadership Club (FLC) at the
school, which had meetings every Friday afternoon after school was over. Seven
girls would gather in one of the classrooms, furnished with beat-up old desks
and decorated with the artwork of the students, to share stories about their
week and discuss a topic chosen by them. The mood was often serious as the
girls shared about the issues they were facing in their lives, but would
quickly shift to playful as they cracked jokes and teased each other.
During
my time on the island, the topic the girls had chosen was love. Using poems and
stories, the facilitator would open up discussion amongst the girls about what
love meant to them, and what healthy love was. Each girl had a different view
of love, but they were in agreement about two things. Firstly, they had all
been told at some point that what they felt was not love because they were
either too young or not experienced enough in matters of the heart to be able
to know for sure. Yet somehow, they could all say when they knew that they
loved someone, how they could tell if someone loved them, and could describe
exactly what a broken heart felt like.
The
facilitator did a fantastic job of reminding the girls that no one could tell
them that what they felt was not legitimate, not only about love but about
everything in their lives.
She
and the girls were also vigilant about making FLC a safe place for everyone to
share their experiences, addressing anything that came up as a potential threat
to the dynamics within the group. I was really impressed by how open and direct
the girls were with each other, and hope that this is something I can help
support in Girl Power camp at the Women’s Centre this summer.
I
want to close off with something the group did several times to start an FLC
meeting. The girls all had a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote “I AM”
statements about how they felt at that exact moment in time.
So,
using myself as an example…
I AM
so lucky to have been able to work with this amazing group.
I AM
excited to bring back what I have learned to Girl Power Camp this summer.
I AM
inspired by the strength of girls.
Sarah