Experience Sharing /Girls' Night Out

Today we had two new ELIC (English Language Improvement Center) events. Since one of the goals of Debre Markos University is community outreach, I took 8 students to one of the local high schools to encourage the 9-10 grade students to speak more English. They prepared a short debate entitled "Teachers are more important than doctors". I must say, as a teacher, I was pleased to hear the impressive arguments of the ninth grader arguing on my behalf. "If it wasn't for teachers, there would be no doctor". Thanks you! Another student read a poem he had written. The university students were proud to serve as role models for the 9th and 10th graders. I doubt if they are given this kind of chance often. One student performed a (very) short drama in which he pretended to be a very drunk university student who failed college due to his bad habit. Two other students delivered a short debate about the necessity (or not) of school uniforms. The English teachers and school director at the high school were as eager as the tudents to share experiences together. We all agreed that we would meet again in two weeks.

 

Our second program today was Coffee Talk for only female students.  Since the women tend to be shy and lack confidence in front of the male students, we decided to try this. Although only 14 females came, I learned a lot by chatting with them. The program tonight was Problem Night. The women wrote down their personal problems and then discussed them in groups of four before sharing with the everyone.  The topics of discussion were about the lack of water, unclean (pit) toilets, freezing outdoor showers, and problem of  lack of baskets to throw their soiled sanitary pads. The school cafeteria was the next topic. Apparently, if the boys are not satisfied with the amount of food they are given, the cafeteria workers will give them more. But if the female students request more food, they are denied. All women in the Coffee Talk group agreed with the student who wrote that the young men in her classes felt that the female students were not able to accomplish what a male student could. I wasn't surprised at what they said, but I WAS surprised that these women were so aware of how they were discriminated against and they didn't like it!