To add to our challenge of producing a presentation on such short notice, we did not know the students baseline knowledge. With Katie as our amazing group leader, Kristen and Alexa, as the Days for girls guru's, and Carolyn and Avneet as teaching assistants, it was a group effort to get this lesson plan together . Kristen and Alexa collaborated with the Okanagan Days for Girls chapter to make kits for women and girls to manage their mestruation. These kits contain washable pads, underwear, washcloths, and soap, to help women manage their menstruation. After applying hard work to preparing the kits for this practicum, we were excited to hand them out.
Upon arrival at the school, we made sure to ask the headmasters permission to teach about female anatomy, puberty, hygiene, menstruation, contraception, and consent. We eagerly entered the school hall, posters of uteruses in hand...what a sight.
We set up our teaching plan by introducing ourselves to the room. The ages range of these young women from 13-18. We stressed that this was a safe environment in which the girls could ask questions freely. After our brief introductions we broke off into 5 small groups. Each group had about 10 girls where we taught our topics in 5-7 minute intervals. We were impressed by how respectful and attentive they were during our lectures. What a spirited group of individuals.
In our contraception teaching we stressed that abstinence is the MOST EFFECTIVE way to prevent pregnancy and STI transmission. However, if they choose to be intimate with a partner, we explained other methods of contraception and ways to further PROTECT themselves, affirming that their health and safety is priority.
During our time here we have been informend of common myths/beliefs, which we believe place Zambian women at risk. These include:
-Having sex with a virgin will cure HIV
-Women are not able to say no to sex
-Access to birth control recieves little support
Unfortunately child marriage, HIV, and gender based violence is common in Zambia. Many young girls become pregnant and as result drop out of school to care for their children. Some might have the added burden of managing a lifelong illness such as HIV. With this in mind, our goal was to provide them with knowledge and empower to make informed choices. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
To conclude our presentation, we came together as a group for an anonymous question and answer session. We received a question on a slip of paper from almost every student. As we read out their questions, we began collecting a better understanding of their knowledge base. The anonymous questions recieved varied widely.
Common questions included:
-Can condoms cause cancer?
-What are the side effects of condoms?
-Is it better to use 2 condoms instead of 1?
-How is HIV spread?
-How would I know that I am pregnant?
-Can I get pregnant while menstruating?
-How would I know I have HIV?
-Why is one breast bigger than the other?
Our question period was incomplete when we had reached our time limit. Thankfully, we were able to continue and finish with the support of their teacher. Her flexibility made us feel liberated as we believe knowledge is power. Lastly, we handed out the Days for Girls kits. It was very rewarding to see their excited faces as they each recieved a kit. The session ended with us all chanting our take-home messages:
We are women!
We are strong!
It's okay to say no!
And [protect yourselves]!
This moment gave us all chills, as the room thundered in unison with the young Zambian students chanting about their strength as women.
Katie shared a video of this moment on Facebook (with permission from the students) which has received an abundance of attention. THANK YOU for your continued love and support from both Canada and Zambia. For some of us, having the opportunity to empower these women was a major highlight of our nursing careers.
We are women and we are strong.
-Katie, Alexa, Aveneet, Carolyn, and Kristen Merkely
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