Community involvement and volunteer spirit are two of African Girls Can’s core principles. In addition to a good education, it is very important to raise citizens who have a servant spirit and a sense of responsibility to their community and others who are in need. In this way students learn in the early years that when they are blessed to have an education, they owe it to themselves to also serve their community and make it a better place.
In 2018, African Girls Can supported 8 girls to receive a good secondary education. As part of their participation in the program, community “giveback” during the holiday is a requirement that we expect of each student. These giveback activities range from cleaning public utilities like hospitals and roads, construction of houses for the elderly, and sensitizing community members about importance of educating girls.
In January 2019, the girls from Otuke gathered together and conducted a giveback activity which involved cleaning the Anepmoroto Chapel and also educating other young girls in their community about the importance of staying in school.
The girls who have been in the program longest led the younger girls to conduct the activity in the community. We were uncertain whether giveback activities would take place because we did not give the students a particular assignment or schedule. We were surprised and gratified when the girls shared that they set aside time and organized their community service work. It reaffirms that they are taking our message to heart. Some of the girls who joined in the activities do not actually come from the same subcounty where they were performed, but were still happy to participate.
Challenges
The girls live long distances apart from each other and coming in to a central location for a giveback activity is often challenging. Transportation in rural Otuke remains a problem. The girls have to walk long distances to come together for the give back activities. It is unsafe for them to accept rides from “boda boda” (motorcycle taxi) drivers, who often prey on young girls.
The telephone network in Otuke is still not very good. Reaching the girls through their parents’ phones is not easy and sometimes one has to try to call several times before succeeding to make contact. For the girls to be able to pull these activities off must have taken them a great deal of commitment and organizing.
The students also faced a problem of few supplies for cleaning the church. Water remains a problem in the rural areas, so they had to fetch water from afar. The students mentioned that this was quite an exhausting activity, but they felt good inside.
Learnings
The students mentioned that they learned the satisfaction of hard work, which changed their attitude towards work and helping others. The girls also said they utilized time management, discipline and respect for others and themselves.
Through this project, “We have learned to be hardworking people committed to our work. It has given us a positive attitude, improved our communications skills, and motivated us to always stand up when opportunity knocks. As AGC Scholars, we need to set an example to the rest of the community. As a group, we are ready to give back to our society, in whatever way we can.”
