Girl Up! - June 15th, 2019
Today we partnered and collaborated with the LEAP and iThuba students to create a lesson for the local chapter of Girl Up. Girl Up is a global organization that believes "No matter their background, girls have the power to transform themselves, their communities, and the world around them." Girl Up is all about female empowerment through leadership.
In the first part of the morning, Khanyi (who is a young woman and friend of Siviwe from Langa and a LEAP alumna) got us started with our task for the day. First, we discussed the results from the experiments we started with iThuba on Tuesday. Both Leap, iThuba and Poly students had an opportunity to explain what the experiments were and why they got the results they did to the Girl Up students. After this, there was time for the Girl Up students to share with us what they want to be when they grow up. They gave us many options and we then took their ideas for careers and selected the top five most mentioned as the basis for our skits. Our goals were to show women in leadership within the skit and then have the Girl Up girls guess what career field it was. Each group received a different career and set out to prepare a skit and tell them more about their potential career paths. Together with LEAP and iThuba, the Poly students took time to research statistics and facts about the different careers such as lawyer, doctor, artist, social worker and pilot. Once we all had some data and information, it was time to act it out. From David "having a baby" to the iThuba students dancing we gave a quick glimpse into that career field. At the end of each skit, the students gave the Girl Up girls facts on the various discrepancies between males and females within each field. Specifically the difference in pay and the amount of women pursuing that career. We also offered advice on which subjects to focus on depending on career the students wanted to pursue.
During the break times and at lunch, we furthered the relationships and connection that we had already started to establish. It really feels as if we are becoming good friends.
We look forward to what the rest of the trip has to offer!
-Shannon and Wally
Acting it out for Girl Up
More skits
Sharing the statistics regarding gender pay gaps
In the first part of the morning, Khanyi (who is a young woman and friend of Siviwe from Langa and a LEAP alumna) got us started with our task for the day. First, we discussed the results from the experiments we started with iThuba on Tuesday. Both Leap, iThuba and Poly students had an opportunity to explain what the experiments were and why they got the results they did to the Girl Up students. After this, there was time for the Girl Up students to share with us what they want to be when they grow up. They gave us many options and we then took their ideas for careers and selected the top five most mentioned as the basis for our skits. Our goals were to show women in leadership within the skit and then have the Girl Up girls guess what career field it was. Each group received a different career and set out to prepare a skit and tell them more about their potential career paths. Together with LEAP and iThuba, the Poly students took time to research statistics and facts about the different careers such as lawyer, doctor, artist, social worker and pilot. Once we all had some data and information, it was time to act it out. From David "having a baby" to the iThuba students dancing we gave a quick glimpse into that career field. At the end of each skit, the students gave the Girl Up girls facts on the various discrepancies between males and females within each field. Specifically the difference in pay and the amount of women pursuing that career. We also offered advice on which subjects to focus on depending on career the students wanted to pursue.
During the break times and at lunch, we furthered the relationships and connection that we had already started to establish. It really feels as if we are becoming good friends.
We look forward to what the rest of the trip has to offer!
-Shannon and Wally
Khanyi explaining the plan for the day
An iThuba student looking at her results
An iThuba student sharing their experiment results
Recording career ideas
Researching for the skits
Girl Up, up front and center
More skits
