April & Scott: Hands-On! (Part 1)

Hands-On! Project made possible by Kids to Kids

Bella Vista Girls Club GLOW (Girls Leading Our World)

Part 1

Club Glow offers female students an opportunity to learn about themselves and each other and participate in empowering, creative projects in a safe, positive environment. It was brought to Belize through Peace Corps Volunteers in local communities and through Camp GLOW, a summer camp for young women leaders of the future all over the world.

The first three pictures feature Zulma, Deiri, and Ruthy, the girls who have been selected to attend camp this summer in the Cayo District of Belize, near the capital Belmopan. Each summer, girls from the six districts of Belize attend camp to learn leadership skills, build self-esteem, discuss health-related topics, play sports, express themselves through arts and crafts, act out skits, dance, and build lasting friendships.

The Bella Vista Girls Club GLOW began in the Bella Vista Catholic School when I obtained permission from the principals to meet with Standard V girls (approx. ages 11-14) before school two mornings a week, primarily with health topics in mind. I also focused on self- esteem and enrichment activities according to a curriculum from Costa Rica for youth called “Como planear mi vida,” or “How to Plan My Life.”

The girls work on projects at every meeting that allow them to express themselves and help them think about the future. One of the creative projects we planned was painting a mural on a community building wall. The girls would each paint an outline of her hand and fill it in with representations of goals and dreams she has for herself and her community. This idea was primarily inspired by our friend Denise Coelho, a Humana Volunteer from Brasil who lived in Bella Vista in the fall of 2008. We called this the Hands-On! Project when applying for a grant through Kids to Kids, Massachusetts. From this program, we received funds to buy each participant in club art supplies for all projects and supplies specific to the Hands-On! Mural.
This past Saturday morning female students from both Standard IV and V (approx. ages 9-14) met to begin their art project together. Before Saturday, the two grades had met for club on separate mornings. The first step involved simply painting the chosen wall for their mural one clean color for the background, cream being the preferred color of the vice principal with whom I have been coordinating.

The girls seemed to participate cheerfully and eagerly and developed teamwork and a sense of camaraderie in the task, taking turns with the rollers. After finishing rapidly, I was impressed with the efficient manner in which they helped me clean up, return the materials to my house, and replace the ladder in its usual position.

Here the girls enjoyed eating a snack of different fresh fruit, including grapes, pineapple, apples, and bananas. They were also careful to drink plenty of water! Pictured from the left are Janet, Karla, Cindy, Melbian, Paulina, Cindy, and Dalia.

Mid-week the girls visited my house to decorate inside-out cereal boxes in which to keep their own brand-new art supplies! Some of the girls stayed for hours on Saturday to paint watercolor pictures for me to hang up on the fridge.