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The structure of the Girls Club is a product of Peace Corps-Senegal. The Club is organized to teach girls between the
ages of 11-17 years old life skills lessons through monthly meetings at a central location.
The Girls Club of Passy, Senegal is partially funded by the Senegalese Education Fund. The Passy Girls Club
utilizes the current Peace Corps Volunteers of the region both as outreach personnel and program coordinators. Each
volunteer in the region is encouraged to find new girls who would be interested and active in the Girls Club meetings.
They also use their skills and resources to find teachers, coordinate food arrangements, and network with other local
officials.
The Passy Girls Club also employs a Senegalese National Director. Currently, our coordinator is Fatou Cisse. Ms. Cisse
is directly involved with teaching, setting up outside speakers, and monthly management of the Club. She also functions
as an interpreter and field agent for the Girls Club.
The Girls Club is set up on a yearly schedule with outlines and lesson plans coordinated each month for different
speakers and guests. Some examples of topics that have been presented are: nutrition, income sources, saving money,
infant care, water sanitation, common diseases and preventative steps for them, and reading, writing and math. The girls
arrive in the morning, have activities relating to that month's theme and then eat a communal lunch together before
returning to their villages in the afternoon.
Three villages are choosen each year from which to send girls. Each girl is selected by the Volunteers and
the Director on the basis of her lack of access to formal education, her willingness to participate in activities, and the
approval of her parents. Each girl who is selected to come to the monthly meetings has the responsibility to return to her
village and share the information that she has received with the other girls. This can be done in a formal meeting or on an
informal basis.
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