The girls in the computer training class have been studying with their Cross Stitch sponsored Spoken English teacher for 6 months now. There is a great improvement in their English comprehension and speaking. English skills were the number one requested skills training from the young women of Trinita. Advanced English training opens up a much wider possibility of jobs – even if that job is simply providing tutoring to others in the community.
Today we worked on creating bio-poems. This was an assignment they had already tried once – they did a share with the Atlanta Girls School girls but it was an online assignment so we didn’t have time to really talk about how to go deeper with feelings while still using simple language. We discussed the poems AGS girls had written and shared on the Cross Stitch private social network. We were able to share what phrases like “through a different lens”, and “I am ocean deep,” meant.
working hard on bio-poems
Here is Tamanna’s first poem:
I love cute children, they look like angels!
Honesty is the best policy, so I love people who are honest.
Time is very precious for the students.
I try my best to care for my parents,
I can feel their care for me.
I like people who smile.
I love to admire the beauty of nature.
I am a brave girl because, I can handle tough situations.
I am emotionally attached to my mother, I understand her feelings.
We live in a wonderful world, I believe in god and so are we!
And this is her second:
I am a strong person.
I am always ready for you.
Lover of honesty.
Who believes in you.
Who believes in my self.
Who fears god.
Who fears hell.
Who wants to give to the world.
Who gives you a new world.
Who sees your good life.
Who sees
I want to be and to have an independent girl in the future.
My name is Tamanna Parveen.
The progress in expression and conceptual thinking the girls in Cross Stitch are making is really impressive. I don’t say amazing because we knew all along the desire and the drive to achieve is so strong in these young women. What helps is having the tutoring they need and being pushed to find their personal and creative voice. During every workshop this week—the girls would grab their Flips and start documenting and interviewing. They are the storytellers now.
Computer Teacher Rupam documents the girls at work
Our next step is to start fundraising for a community computer center. Trinita is using their office for computer classes now and this poses a couple of problems. The office is on the edge of the community and far for some students to come. This especially hampers the girls because many parents don’t like them crossing the neighborhood alone.
If the computer center was more central in the community Trinita could also develop some programs that were income generating and provide more jobs for students. We are talking about training the girls to use wordpress and offer web design service. But even basic typing services would be a service in demand.
The boys would also benefit from this center and we’d work on strengthening a program for them. It would be a real community computer center.
So this is the new dream. We go home ready to look for the funding and make it a reality.
