Sunday, September 5, 2010

Meetings, momentum and of course some dancing in the street!

August has been a month when things really seem to be gaining momentum.

The highlight activity for the month with my kids was participating in the Day Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. There were a number of organisations participating and we had 2 tents where we exhibited the work we do, had games that the public played to give lessons about sexual and domestic violence. And 8 of the kids from the guardaria, 4 from my class, danced in front of about 250 people. Most of them were shy and I had to dance with one of them but one of the girls got really into it and had the whole crowd clapping along. Not bad for a 2yr old (see video attached - unfortunatly no sound but you can get the idea)

We also had the language day in the school which was great fun. The kids had put a lot of effort into preparing games in english and quechua and then there was a full programme of songs and poems in both languages complete with dances, mimes, air guitars and some fantastic costumes.

We carried out the interviews in the night school, at the community meeting and the employees of the guardaria went house to house. We got a great selection of ages and people from all areas of Mineros San Juan. Some people were really interesting to talk to and their different perspectives were quite insightful. I have been compiling the results and the answers are teaching me a lot about the people and the community. We are now having meetings with local governments and preparing our responses to the community. We now have a clearer understanding of what they want to learn and are preparing education programmes based on that.

It has also been meetings ahoy for me with the girls group that I want to start. I made some contacts with an organisation that works in sex ed and particularly HIV holding an expo, and this has helped me get the momentum I was missing to crack on with this and bring it to the forefront of planned activities. Still lots of work to do but the engagement of conversation with people in the community when I put up posters for the expo and the enthusasium of the 8thgraders on going to the expo is giving me motivation and hope that sexual health education for the community is just around the corner.

Bolivia is also never dull with there always being a festival to celebrate. August being the month of Independance Day and a big local festival that results in some early morning walks and some traditional ceremonies on a mountain that include buying minature versions of all the things I want in my life, getting them blessed and hacking out some rocks from the moutain with a mallet.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions eliza_wall@yahoo.com.au


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