REDES

This past weekend I was in Maputo to attend an organizational meeting for an established project of Peace Corps Mozambique called REDES. REDES stands for "Raparigas em Desenvolvimento, Educacao e Saude," or "Girls in Development, Education and Health." Volunteers organize groups of girls in secondary schools across the country for this extracurricular activity. Groups of girls come together to have a supportive place to talk freely and learn and just be girls. The group leaders facilitate education and discussion sessions about important life issues - gender roles, women´s health and STDs, self esteem, healthy relationships, women´s rights, future planning, and goal setting. Each group also does activities that interest them - whether it´s forming a girl´s soccer team or making a craft for income generation.
One highlight of the REDES program is a national conference. Sixty young women from all over the country will meet together in April for a week of education and leadership activities that they will be able to share with the women of their communities when they return. This weekend we planned the conference schedule and logistics. It´s exciting to be part of it!
Jesse is hoping to get involved in the brother organization called JOMA (Jovens para Mudanca e Accao - or - Youth for Change and Action). JOMA has a website - http://joma.pcmoz.org/