My name is Danielle Prince and I volunteered the summer of 2010 with The Valentino Achak Deng Foundation. How can I sum up all the pieces of my experience in Southern Sudan during my 5 weeks there? I am forever touched and changed by the women and girls I worked with. Despite the intense heat, cornucopia of bugs and other flying creatures, and relative ‘slowness’ of how things happen – or maybe because of these things – my time there was shaped and nurtured not only by the environment (so different than Seattle), but more significantly by getting to know the girls at the secondary school as well as some of the women in the market.
Me hanging out with the girls on market day.
My two projects (and their off-shoots) ran parallel: creating a girls’ club that metamorphosed into individual one-on- one interviews that I then got to write up and present to the Foundation; creating and facilitating a women’s group on the weekends for the tea-shop owners in the market. While both were distinct, each lent a glimpse into the lives of women in Southern Sudan: what their hopes and dreams are, what they hold dear, what issues they face as problematic and challenging.
The weekly Women’s Group meeting.
After I had worked with the market women for a while, they gradually started to open up. Here’s a few of the questions they began to ask me after a while:
Do American men accept having a baby girl (are they happy for it)?
If your husband divorces you, can you still have and raise a child?
If you have a child out of wedlock, what can you tell that child?
Why do men in America marry only 1 wife?
In America, can a woman leave an abusive husband with her children or does she have to stay?
Do you have women working in tea shops or in big companies in your country?
The women and girls told me specifically that they want people to know about them: they want you, Reader, to know about them. I remain committed to raising awareness about their lives and a strong advocate in portraying them as they are: resilient individuals who are taking charge of their lives by pursuing education, creating livelihoods and being on the forefront of a rapidly changing nation, rather than simply victims of war, politics and erratic aid efforts.
Tea shop owners.
You can read more about my experience in Stirring the Fire’s “How Others Got Involved” section. I will also be contributing on an ongoing basic to Stirring the Fire’s website and blog! Stay tuned for upcoming posts of my interviews with the women and girls in Sudan as well as my other volunteer experiences.
Update: Interview of one of the tea shop owners here!
yuko
this is awesome Dan! looking forward to reading more posts from you.
Danielle Prince
Yuko,
Thank you for always being so supportive of my work. I appreciate it!
caleb
Well done Danielle. Can’t wait to read more. As a father of two girls you can tell the Sudanese women that I was beyond ecstatic about having girls. Women in America can be anything they want (although still not as easy as it should be) and I’m proud that my girls will have that choice.
Good luck!
Caleb
Danielle Prince
Caleb,
Thank you so much for responding and sharing your thoughts! If I’m lucky enough to return to southern Sudan this summer, I will indeed pass along your excitement and gratitude of being a father to two girls. This is an important part of the cultural exchange. Your girls are lucky to have an open and supportive dad like you.
Until next time!
Marion Bazin
Dan, thank you for sharing this with the world! You’re doing an amazing job with women and I’m very proud of you. I also love the way you write, and even though I’m not a native english speaker, I can sense a lot of things behind your words! It’s great that you can contribute to this blog.
And one more thing: I was very surprised to read the questions those women asked you… There is still so much to do for gender equality on this planet. Keep going my dear!!!
Danielle Prince
Ma chere,
Merci pour tes mots si sympathiques! J’apprecie tous ce que tu as a me dire. (Your English is flawless, btw.) Thank you for reading and supporting our work. The cause of gender equality is fundamental to humanity’s evolution and is my raison d’etre. Allez! A la prochaine post.
Stirring The Fire
We couldn’t be more pleased to have Danielle on the StF team!
Karen
Danielle, Keep up your good work! You care so much and are an inspiration to those who know you.
Richard
I am happy to read of your passion to bring about a just world for women – too many of whom are little aware of such a possibility. Your energy and generous commitment will help budge the existing obstacles (often men?!) to such needed change. Indeed, I feel yours is “an idea whose time has come.” (Thanks, V. Hugo).
Danielle Prince
Thank you for your kind words. It is indeed an idea whose time has come, and has been in process for over 100 years. But we need men involved too. This is where you, and your voice, come in.
Kim (aka Kippy)
Hi Danielle – Thank you for posting the information about your time in the Sudan. Many American women take our rights and freedoms for granted, but I do not, and your work to educate all women is quite admirable. Aayan Hirsi Ali is one of my heroines, and you are obviously working toward many of the same goals. Take care of yourself – Kippy
Danielle Prince
Kippy, great to hear from you! Thank you for supporting my work and aligning it with Aayan Hirsi Ali’s. She is a heroine for me as well. We do have a lot of rights and freedoms in this country and recognizing them is so important in the work that I do. Sadly, we in America still have yet to achieve full equality so my focus is not only abroad, but at home as well. Thank you for reaching out!