Fellow PCVs Sarah and Juliette and I have been planning to host a girls' leadership conference in Doucki, Guinea to teach girls leadership skills, environmental awareness and discuss women's issues in Guinea. This conference will give girls a chance to travel outside their village, meet girls from other regions and cultures, discuss women's issues, participate in team-building and leadership activities in one of Guinea's most interesting and treasured sites and motivate them to share their new knowledge and skills with their peers back in their villages. We wrote a Peace Corps Partnership grant and are now trying to raise money to host the conference. Please read our grant summary below and, if interested, go to the Peace Corps website and make a tax-deductible donation to our project.
Girls' Outdoor Leadership Conference
Peace Corps volunteers have a long tradition of organizing and running a regional Girls' Conference in Guinea. Today's societal role of women in Guinea is such that they have limited access to education and work opportunities. In this vein, this project seeks to fund a 3-day girls' Outdoor Leadership Conference at one of Guinea's natural geological sites.
Hosted by a renowned Guinean tour guide, the conference has three objectives for its participants: leadership development, environmental awareness and girls' empowerment. The guiding techniques focus strongly on listening skills, self-awareness, verbal communication, and goal-setting, all qualities of leadership that the Peace Corps wishes to encourage in female Guinean students. Girls will benefit from the direct interaction with nature through daily hikes, as well as discussions about Guinea's current environmental issues. Finally, they will engage in participatory sessions about women in Guinean society and develop personal strategies for promoting women's rights among peers.
Ten middle school-aged girls from various communities will be selected by Peace Corps volunteers for their demonstrated motivation in school and positive attitude.
The girls' respective communities will provide a small financial contribution for cost of participation. In addition, the guide's hiking complex, guide services, lodging and food will be discounted by 40% for the sake of this event. The funds from the PCPP will cover costs of transportation, the remaining venue fee, and training materials such as handouts and certificates for the participants.
Hosted by a renowned Guinean tour guide, the conference has three objectives for its participants: leadership development, environmental awareness and girls' empowerment. The guiding techniques focus strongly on listening skills, self-awareness, verbal communication, and goal-setting, all qualities of leadership that the Peace Corps wishes to encourage in female Guinean students. Girls will benefit from the direct interaction with nature through daily hikes, as well as discussions about Guinea's current environmental issues. Finally, they will engage in participatory sessions about women in Guinean society and develop personal strategies for promoting women's rights among peers.
Ten middle school-aged girls from various communities will be selected by Peace Corps volunteers for their demonstrated motivation in school and positive attitude.
The girls' respective communities will provide a small financial contribution for cost of participation. In addition, the guide's hiking complex, guide services, lodging and food will be discounted by 40% for the sake of this event. The funds from the PCPP will cover costs of transportation, the remaining venue fee, and training materials such as handouts and certificates for the participants.
this sounds like a great education opportunity and life experience for these girls, as well as for yourself I imagine! Have fun :)
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