"Ms. Tena, you discriminate"

If you saw my blog post Days for Girls , then you already know about the Days for Girls kits that were supplied to every single Orphan and Vulnerable Child (OVC) girl who is known to have started her cycle, and all girls club members have also received a kit.

Well right around that same time, a group known as OYO came to do a performance at my school. LET ME TELL YOU, they were a really cool group. Its a local performance company who has invested their amazing dance skills to teach via dance and music about topics such as teen pregnancies, STI's, drinking, issues pressing too many. Their performance was super cool!! Along with teaching via dance performances they offer a 2 week after school class that learners can sign up for to learn more in depth information about these issues. Basically every single learner in grades 7-9 were involved. Well in these after school classes the learners learned to word "discriminate".

 Well one day after school a couple of the boys came up to me and said "Ms.Tena, you discriminate  against us." Confident in their remark.

The first thought that came to my mind was shoot, theres still so much about the culture I'm learning, I did something to offend someone; but like a duck even will my feet going wild beneath the surface, I kept my game face on and asked what they meant. They explained that it wasn't fair that the girls get special gifts and the boys don't. I tried to explain to them the kits would never be something they would use, they were something the girls really needed but not the boys. Thats when in the typical teenage fashion they argued that boys have stuff they need that the girls don't. So I asked for an example, and nothing. I told them to think about it, and then I would see what I could do.

A couple days later they came to me and explained they need ties so that they can go to job interviews one day. As much as I wanted to argue a clothing item like a tie isn't just a "boy's need", I was more so impressed that they thought of something they may actually need one day and a valid reason for it. Not to mention this was in English, their second/third languages. So I accepted.

Well while I was back in the good old USA for my surgery I told my mom the story and she then took it upon herself to tell the story to some of her co-workers and do a tie drive. With in 48hrs till I left back to complete my service in Namibia, they collected over 30 ties! I was really hoping for 17, enough for each of my boys club members and they passed that with flying colors. It took me a couple weeks to get back into my groove in Kasote but then we finally had a very special boys club meeting where each boy was able to tell me 1 thing he learned during boys club in exchange for a tie. Of coarse they were able to start wearing then whenever they wanted. They were  so excited! I wish you all could have seen them walking into school the next day in their ties like the were the coolest thing to ever walk Kasote School ground. I must admit, they looked rather dapper.


I owe a major major thank you to my dad, my mom and her co-workers for donating the ties. The boys rock their ties most days of the week. Yeah it may be simply a tie, but it has definitely added some confidence into the boys steps.

If you are interested in OYO coming to your school in Namibia, they are awesome and you won't regret it. An easy way to contact them is via their Facebook page OYO's facebook link