PRA-Manual Embracing Participitation tools-only.pdf - PACA

3.64 EMBRACING PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPMENT: Wisdom from the Field
On the last day in Chawama, after we had wound-up the field
work, the facilitators met at the clinic to discuss the results. While
we were busy with our discussions a large group of 10-13 year
old schoolgirls turned up at the clinic and said that they wanted
to continue the discussions with us. Not wanting to hurt them by
asking them to go away, we gave them a sheet of A-4 size
paper each and asked them to sketch a day in their lives. They
were all asked sit separately and to draw their own routines.
In disbelief we looked at the filled-up sheets. Only one of the
36 girls who took part in the exercise had drawn her daily
routine, like sweeping, helping her mother prepare breakfast,
going to school, playing with friends, etc. All the rest, 35 of
them, had written a story, which ran something like this:
"When I was washing dishes outside my home a girl
approached me and said that there is a boy interested
to be friends with you."
The girl and boy are introduced. The boy says he wants to
be her friend. The girl agrees. They decide to meet again.
The boy gives small gifts or money. After two or three meetings
the boy suggests having sex. The girl refuses. The boy tries
again. The girl refuses. He persists. The girl refuses.
End of story.
Part 3
We asked two or three of them, separately, to tell us what
happened afterwards. The girls did not say anything. We asked
if they would like to draw what happened next. They refused.
We did not persist.
It is possible that all these girls drew a girl-boy relationship
sequence, instead of a simple daily routine, because of the influence
of the discussions that we had on the subject with them
earlier. However, we had not asked them to prepare a picture
story earlier. Even then, getting nearly the same story and
sequence of events from 35 out of 36 girls was a mind-blowing
experience for us. We were stunned for quite some time.
From the field notes of Meera Kaul Shah, Chawama Compound, Lusaka, Zambia.