Beninese cheer.

Beninese cheer, at the camp. The boys taught us this.

There is espoir after all...

This past week, I participated in Camp Espoir; a camp for young boys aged roughly 12-15.

I was counselor/helper to the Red Team aka Les Tigres, les champions du camp! aka The Tigers, camp champions!

The boys participated in workshops designed to exopse them to topics that they would, excuse my certainty, otherwise never have the chance to discuss. We covered all topics including: gender roles, male/female health and sexuality and new types of courage. The over all theme of the camp was gender equality so all workshops included some kind of sketch or role play and discussion about the female experience.

I was so touched at how these boys who had rarely spent time reflecting on these issues, were so willing to explore them. During role plays with female parts they dressed up as females, and during discussions which often turned into debates they answered honestly and thought, well, thoughtfully.

The end of the camp was sad and almost drew tears when we read what some the boys had written on their feedback sheets.

"I want to thank the volunteers of Camp Espoir because I never knew that girls worried about so many things and now I know."

"I see now that girls can do all the things that boys can do and are equal to boys."

This coming from boys who are taught that it is okay to degrade women; that women are in no way equal to them; that women are, in a nutshell, here to serve food and produce children.

Awesome.

Around these parts.

3 of my students.

Can you see the arc en ciel (arc in sky, rainbow)?

What insect is that? It flies like a hummingbird and even looks like a mini hummingbird but is definitely an insect.