Help girls become leaders in their communities!

26 Young Female Leaders Exchange Ideas for personal and Community Development

On Thursday, December 26, 2024, 26 young female leaders, mentored by Grandmother Project - Change through Culture(GMP), participated in a full-day exchange of ideas and strategies to better contribute to the advancement of their respective communities. Women leaders from the locality were invited to give short speeches about their individual experiences and to serve as role models for the personal development of the young girls.

 The December 26 workshop followed a series of training sessions on leadership, personal development, self-esteem reinforcement, and field activities conducted by the young female leaders. These efforts aim to promote girls’ holistic development and the social and economic transformation of their communities, with the support of elders, particularly grandmothers.

The girls from different localities used this opportunity to share their individual and collective experiences and best practices for community development.

 The day was an intensive learning experience for the 26 young female leaders from four villages in the communes of Kandia, Némataba, Saré Coly Sallé, and a peripheral district of Vélingara. The event was part of the final 2024 inter-village workshop for young female leaders organized by Grandmother Project - Change through Culture (GMP).

Mrs. Ndèye Sall, Deputy Prefect of Vélingara, and Mrs. Adama Diang Sow, Deputy Mayor of Kandia Commune, participated in the meeting. Both women shared their educational and professional journeys, highlighting the challenges they faced and the initiatives that were crucial to their success and commitment to their communities. Their stories aimed to inspire these young female leaders to adopt positive actions and attitudes on their own paths to success and altruistic engagement.

Mrs. Adama Diang Sow, who is also the principal of Elementary School III in Diaobé, shared a lesson with the girls based on the "wisdom of the chameleon." Drawing on a quote from the writer Ahmadou Hampaté Bâ, she said:

• “When the chameleon chooses a direction, it never turns its head away. Have a clear goal in life and let nothing distract you from it.”
• “When the chameleon arrives somewhere, it takes on the color of its surroundings. This symbolizes tolerance, social skills, and adaptability in any circumstance.”
• “The chameleon is cautious as it walks. Be mindful of where you step.”
• “When the chameleon spots its prey, it doesn’t rush but sends out its tongue first. Move carefully in everything you do if you want to achieve lasting results.”

These wise words deeply resonated with the girls and their mentors, who listened attentively.

Deputy Prefect Ndèye Sall, dressed in her uniform, said: “We all come from modest social backgrounds. We had to leave our families to pursue studies in other localities, despite the challenges that entailed.”
She continued: “You are more fortunate because you can study near your families until you obtain your high school diploma. In our time, we only had notebooks and books to study. Today, with your phones, you can access everything you want. By using your phones wisely, success is within your reach.”

The interventions of both guests perfectly aligned with the objectives set by the Grandmother Project coordinator, which were to: “Strengthen the skills of young female leaders, boost their self-esteem, and encourage their involvement in community affairs to drive positive change.”

Miss Diallo, a young girl from the village of Dianwély Yéro in the Némataba commune, emphasized:“As a middle school student, the training sessions have made me more proactive in class, I participate more, and seek help from anyone who can support my success in life.” 

Miss Diao from Saré Soukandé in the Saré Coly Sallé commune shared:
“If we, as young female leaders, have participated in weekly village clean-up activities and helped younger schoolchildren obtain supplies, it’s because we established group rules with the support of our grandmothers. Everyone takes pride in respecting these rules, thanks to the involvement of the grandmothers.”

Miss Baldé from Saré Faramba concluded the workshop by saying: “We have learned so much from this meeting. We will follow in the footsteps of the Deputy Prefect and the Deputy Mayor in terms of strategies, behavior, and actions to advance our villages and achieve success in life.”

Before parting ways, the young female leaders, guided by an artist, crafted various handmade art pieces in different colors to celebrate the beauty of this intergenerational workshop.

From December 2023 to July 2024, Grandmother Project led a training program across ten sites for a hundred grandmothers (GMs) with the goal of strengthening their leadership and knowledge, including understanding the physical and psychological changes girls undergo during adolescence. This was aimed at helping them better support and guide the girls through the numerous challenges they face, while also working to stop harmful traditional practices against them.

In addition to this training, which was initially intended for the hundred GM leaders selected by their peers, 476 young girls also participated in several training sessions. The purpose of including these young girls alongside the grandmothers was twofold: 1) to build strong bonds of trust between the grandmothers and the girls for better connection, and 2) to allow these girls to learn from the grandmothers how to become good leaders. The presence of the young girls also provided an opportunity for the grandmothers to listen to the challenges they face and to develop action plans together. Grandmothers will be able to contribute effectively, both individually and collectively, to promoting girls' education and their holistic development if stronger bonds are established.

The objective of including girls in this program was to later identify, among the 476 young girls who participated in the training, potential young leaders who would work hand in hand with the grandmother leaders to promote girls' education and combat harmful traditional practices such as child marriage, early pregnancies, and female genital mutilation in their communities.

During the training sessions, the grandmothers and the girls identified new ideas for changing mindsets related to girls' education and reducing harmful cultural practices against girls.

The participatory activities, which included exercises, role-playing, images illustrating concrete problems, traditional stories, case studies, and simulations, enabled the 476 young girls to:

• Forge bonds of solidarity among themselves and with the GMs;
• Gain knowledge about adolescence ;
• Acquire leadership skills;
• Establish communication bridges with the GMs;
• Improve collaboration with the GMs;
• Develop better action plans to support girls’ education and protect them.

A small evaluation conducted after the training showed that the girls who benefited from the program gained enthusiasm and determination. Some of them initiated activities within their communities to strengthen cohesion among young girls. For example, they organized meetings to discuss the challenges some of them face in obtaining school supplies. The evaluation results also revealed positive changes in knowledge and self-confidence among the girls who participated in the training sessions alongside the grandmothers.

Several young girls from the 476 who participated in the training program with the grandmothers have already been selected by their peers. They will continue to attend meetings with the grandmother leaders to consolidate their leadership skills while waiting to receive more focused training exclusively for young girls on leadership roles.

Grandmother Project Change through Culture team want together with you make a difference in these girls and their communities’ life. The goal in near-term is to complete the leadership training for 200 selected girls. Your contributions could help us achieve it. 

Read more below about what GMP has been working on, on our website.

www.grandmotherproject.org