a project you can help with: Mariental Girls Conference

In June Megan and I took nine girls and one Namibian counterpart to
the Southern Girls Conference (SGC) in Keetmanshoop. We helped
organize and facilitate this three-day girls conference. The overall
goal of the conference was HIV prevention through the empowerment and
education of girls in grades 7-10. One of the objectives in
achieving that goal was strengthening existing girls clubs. During
the community planning time the Mariental girls came up with a plan
to share the best parts of SGC with other girls in their community.

The nine girls from Megan's and my girls' clubs came up with a plan
to host a smaller, one day, version of SGC here in Mariental for
other girls at their schools and two other schools who did not get to
attend. The sessions that they felt should be in a one-day "mini"
girls conference were women's health, appropriate relationships, HIV
and AIDS info session, self esteem poems and collages, and the
phenomenal women panel. The theme of SGC was based off of Maya
Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman". The girls want that to be the theme
again and also want to invite some phenomenal women from the
community to share their stories of how they got to where they are.
They came up with a list of eight women including the governor, the
mayor, a principal, a teacher, and some local business women. We
only need about four for the panel, so hopefully from there list at
least that many will be willing and able to come and speak as
phenomenal women and inspire these girls on that same path! We hope
to have ten girls from each of four schools come together for this
event to not only empower and strengthen the girls who attend, but
the girls clubs and the schools that they go back to. In addition,
we hope that this mini girls conference will promote interaction and
collaboration between schools in Mariental, specifically between
girls clubs in Mariental.

Now the time has come to take these ideas and make them into a
reality. We now have a schedule, a plan, a budget, and a date
(Saturday 13 October). Last week I applied to the PC HIV and AIDS
committee for funding. This morning I am meeting with some of the
SGC participants from the Danie Joubert girls club to make
invitations for the women they want to invite for the panel.
Tomorrow Megan and I are going to meet with the teachers who lead
girls clubs at two other schools to go through the schedule and see
how they can also be involved in the day. Plans are in motion.
However, if you are interested in this project you can help from the
US. While we have already received one donation from a gracious
RPCV's mom and have applied to the HIV committee, we still do not
have all of the funds secured for this day. The total cost of the
day including supplies and meals is US$350. So far we have received
US$100. If you would like to help us get a little closer to making
this happen by contributing financially, please send your check to
the following address with "Mariental Girls Conference" in the
subject line:
Beth Dixon
c/o Jill Dixon
W5380 Jolly Ave.
Medford, WI 54451

Thanks for your interest in my work here in Namibia. Over the past
two years, the girls club has been a highlight for me!