Girls in Senegal fight for education

Cait O'Callaghan

Viola Vaughn explains “10,000 Girls” program to Suffolk

If a student fails school in Senegal for two years in a row, they are eliminated from the public school system forever, and many girls are taken out of school around age nine so they can help their mothers out with errands and chores around the house.

Viola Vaughn, the founder of the Women’s Health Prevention and Education Alliance (WHEPSA), hopes to keep more Senegalese girls in school, which is why she started “10,000 Girls,” a program designed to motive young girls in Senegal to stay in school and learn how to read and write.

“One plus one is two in any language, but you must first learn how to add before you subtract.”

The main objective of the program is to keep girls in school and to develop a group of self disciplined, economically independent young women who will assist in the development of their communities.

Vaughn, who has a Doctor of Education Degree from Columbia University, founded WHEPSA in 2001 to develop new strategies for offering health and education services. In 2000, she and her husband decided to move to Senegal so her five grandchildren could have multicultural experiences and learn different languages.

When Vaughn was first asked by a girl for her help so she could stay in school, Vaughn said “no” repeatedly until she gave in. When the first girl came to see Vaughn, she brought four of her friends with her. Within a few weeks, there were 20 girls, and today, 2,700 girls in the program.

“We don’t recruit these girls, they find us somehow,” said Vaughn. “They don’t want to be cheated anymore.” There are three types of girls that find this program: girls that are failing, girls that already failed, and girls who never went to school.

The 10,000 Girls philosophy is “Literacy is fun, but it also has an important function.” There is an afterschool program that is run by qualified teachers who volunteer to teach and tutor these girls in math, history, geography, French and English. Because the afterschool program exists, it gives the girls a place and time to study, and allows them access to school supplies.

One major feature in the program is The Book Mobile, which is a truck that drives through the villages of Senegal and allows children access to books. These books are picked out by the girls of the 10,000 Girls, and are usually in French, Arabic and English.

“We try to make the books come alive. If we increase access to books at a young age, they will be more likely to succeed,” said Vaughn. “We make sure girls are competent with everything before they move on to the next level. One plus one is two in any language, but you must first learn how to add before you subtract, and you must learn to subtract before you can multiply.”

Vaughn also explained that it’s “the mothers’ fault” that these girls were taken out of school. They take the girls out of school and keep the boys. “[I] talked to the fathers of the girls and encouraged the fathers to keep the girls in school because it would provide for successful futures and that they would be making a lot of money,” said Vaughn.

“We have received a lot of support from the men in the community,” she added. One father, who is an electrician, even does the electric work at the school for free. The mothers are also starting to become more supportive.

10,000 Girls is just not a school where girls learn how to read and write; they also learn entrepreneurship skills for their futures.

“The entrepreneurship program teaches girls a craft or trade, business basics, and provides them with a work space to create high-quality products,” said the program’s website, 10000girls.org. “The girls run the businesses and own 100 percent of the profits. They have chosen to donate 49 percent of their profits to the educational program of 10,000 Girls.”

The girls make and export all of their products themselves. They started off selling homemade cookies and juice, and soon started to produce dolls, organic cotton, and hibiscus tea (that is sold in the U.S.).

“WHEPSA gives girls the tools to develop a business. Literacy is an essential component [of developing a business],” said Vaughn. The girls learn how to make a business plan, and they learn different aspects that come along with business.

Volunteers are always needed in Senegal for the 10,000 Girls program.

One person who is interested in volunteering after graduation is Suffolk Senior Christine Rodriguez. “I really think the self-sufficient aspect is important, and is the key to helping these girls,” she said. “I’m definitely interested in volunteering after I graduate [this May], especially since I’ve studied Senegal before.”

“The month flew by, and when I headed back to the airport all I could think of was how I wished I had more time in Senegal,” said volunteer Amanda McKeever on the organization’s web site. “10,000 Girls is an organization run by the strength and will-power of the girls themselves. Through the guidance of their executive director, Madame Viola, they are given the direction and support necessary for their continued growth and achievement.”