More insight from Dakar's youth... and another working weekend.

Conducting a focus group on Saturday morning, the first day of Ramadan - presenting new sexual health elements of conseil-ados.com website. The purpose was to see what the youth thought about the sexual health content presented on the website, including what they thought of the images, the use of comic strips, interactive online quizzes and scenarios, and whether the information was clear and informative. I was also trying to get a better understanding of their internet utilization habits in general and how and where they acquire and search for sexual health information.

Every focus group is different. Some are more talkative. Others less. The one that took place this morning was more challenging than others. While the participants were students, age 15 - 20, most had a really difficult time expressing themselves in French. It was hard to watch them struggle when it was their turn to talk, literally stuttering and searching for words. After the first 15 minutes, I decided to carry on the rest of the time in Wolof, the spoken language of the people in Dakar. Even so, the participants were shy. This experience such a novelty for them - getting asked their opinions and to express themselves, to say how they feel, what they think, what they want. It was honestly hard to watch and listen. Part of me felt happy to literally give them a microphone. The other part of me was aching inside, feeling the emotions build up in my throat, as I listened and watched and posed questions. These kids live a hard life, having to traverse the daily struggles of modern poverty in Dakar. Not knowing what they will do after high school. Yet they are so kind and polite. So patient.
 They speak of being grateful to have the opportunity to hear the radio show we played for them (the radio show I'm evaluating), discussing menstruation. After listening to it the girls mentioned they did not even know some of the basic information presented in the show. The boys said they would go home and tell their sisters what they had learned.

These youth lack so much information and opportunity! I think back to all my education, to my opportunities, the spoils of knowledge provided to me - and here they are, on a Saturday and Sunday, given nothing in return but some information and a moment to express themselves, and they are thanking me!?
It is truly difficult to comprehend these massive disparities of life, of the world, when they are right in front of you. People say it all the time, but it really does change you. It alters your way of thinking, of seeing the world and how you will choose to go about living in it.