#gewe

Gewe

The town of Gewe lies south of the Brand, in the far north of the south-western regions of Aldowẻ. It is noted for its insular, self-reliant society, its isolated language, and the stereotype that it is mistrusting of foreigners.

Geweans are distinguished from other Teren peoples by the fact that they are all born as twins. Other physical characteristics include a broader range of natural hair and eye colourings than those of Kaajan or Umalyan descent (their immediate neighbours to the south and north respectively).

Perhaps most interesting, however, is the fact that the rite of passage by which Geweans come of age involves one of each pair of twins becoming exiled from their homeland. The reason for this is complex, and deeply embedded in the nation's history and culture. To put it as simply as it can be made without becoming simplistic, Gewean philosophy holds that each pair are one soul split between two bodies, and that upon reaching adulthood the two must compete to determine who has the right to be that person.

Women's Friendship Group Dinner

We decided that since we'd all worked so hard last week on our day camp, we'd relax and have dinner together this week. Doreen organized the meal and we had a great time. She also invited a new member!

On the way home from dinner, I got to talk to Doreen about next year's plans. Lainie, one of our vice-presidents (yes, we have two), mentioned during dinner that she wanted to keep the group going. I was thrilled. Students here will often drop out of everything extracurricular during their third year, so if the girls stuck with this, it would mean that it really means something to them, and they would also be able to mentor and guide more young women in the coming years.

When I talked to Doreen, however, she seemed much more hesitant. She explained that she thought some of the members were not interested in accomplishing more, or exploring more difficult topics... the exact same concerns I'd had when I first started. I explained that to her, but also mentioned that learning how to balance my expectations with what was possible at the time was an important lesson that I'd had to learn. I think she'll learn that too.

Moreover, she has time on her side. The girls have become closer, more dedicated, and more mature. The leaders have had experience planning, leading, and learning from their mistakes. She can build on the progress we've made, and challenge the members to do more and discuss more. We're going to start recruiting younger members to take on leadership positions for next year. I can definitely think of some members who would jump at the chance. It will also be great for the current leaders to take on a more advisory role (like the kind I have now), so everyone wins!

Women's Friendship Group's Mentorship Camp II

The camp was also a great opportunity for our women's group leaders and members. They volunteered their time to mentor local high school students. They planned and delivered a fun and informative day camp. They lead. They taught. They were amazing. I'm so proud of them.

On their evaluation forms, one question read, "What did you learn or gain from facilitating and participating in the camp?"

"This camp give me a chance to teach others and help others." - Atom

"I made some new friends and talked with them about my experience." - Kylie

"Talking with others can benefit us all." - Sonia

"Planning is very important, and we also dealt with problems flexibly." - Aeginy

"Organization and cooperation." - Doreen

And my favorite...

"Practice before the meeting is very important." - Lainie (They were a little surprised when I told them we should do a run through a few days before, but afterwards they understood why.)

From the evaluation: "Were we successful in meeting our project goals?"

"Yes." - Everyone

And this: "Yes. Girls said they learned a lot and relaxed themselves during such busy time." - Amanda

(More photos!)

Women's Friendship Group's Mentorship Camp

We did it! Every bit of time and energy we put into this event was well worth it. We couldn't be happier, and I couldn't be prouder.

This camp was a great opportunity for the high school girls to learn more about university life and to relax. They have a major test coming up next month. Actually, even "major" is an understatement. They are taking their college-entrance exams which, in China, can dictate the direction of the rest of your life. Needless to say, they're feeling the pressure. And no one knows that pressure better than these university freshmen and sophomores who were in their shoes not too long ago. They talked to them about good study habits, university life, and shared with them lessons they learned along the way. They also talked to them about the importance of healthy relationships and confidence.

On the evaluation sheets, one of the questions reads, "What did you learn today? What will you remember?" The most common answer was: 自信. Confidence.

(More photos!)