Friday, February 13, 2009

Classrooms




One of the many things that has impressed me so much about the girls of Safe Spaces is the fact that they come together where ever they can in order to meet and hold sessions. Safe Spaces does have one small office in an area referred to as 'K-South.' The girls can come to this office and hold their sessions on Relationships, Photography and Communications. Nish uses this office as a central base for the program and many of the girls seem to view it as a second home.

While it has been a huge development for the program to acquire this meeting space, there is still more work to be done. The girls in another part of the city called Mali Saba meet in a small room within the slum area. The room is made from mud and is poorly ventilated. Above is a picture of the many girls crowded into the small make-shift classroom for a meeting. It would be great to see the program expand and have the funds available to acquire another proper classroom in another part of the city. Perhaps one day this will be a reality.

In the meantime, however, the girls seem content where ever they may be. I have seen them meet in a park for a yoga class, in another girl's home for a meeting, and tomorrow we gather in a field for a Community Festival to highlight the program to a wider audience of girls within the slum. Some people say, "The world is a classroom," and for the Safe Spaces girls - the slums of Nairobi are certainly utilized as a means to bring women together and educate one another.

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