Growing & Going Together: Girls Gang
Being a woman comes with gifts, but also challenges, especially if one is living with many limitations. Early on, many refugee girls at Roshan had regular classes but socializing, sports, and other activities were nonexistent for most of them.
The GG members spend time together doing different activities during their bimonthly gatherings. They engage in deep conversations, write notes of appreciation to each other, eat, dance, and play games. They also plan each gathering thoughtfully, brainstorming activities, how to promote bonding, and preparing games and food for everyone to enjoy.
Originally from Afghanistan, Marofa says, “GG changed my life by connecting [me] with new people, it was really helpful for me as a new girl in a different society and culture.” Marofa takes on a leadership role by organizing and coordinating GG events and programs.
Futsal has been one of their most loved activities. The girls gather weekly and practice with their coach (a Roshan volunteer). Most of them had never played futsal before, but now, after a year of training and practicing, they are preparing for tournaments. In mid-2019, during futsal practice, they noticed some members’ shoes were torn up. They decided to fundraise by selling food to buy futsal shoes for their practices. Members did the shopping themselves and woke up early to cook everything. It was a huge moment and proud accomplishment for the girls as they are always looking for ways to be self-sufficient.
Another favorite activity of the girls is the Creative Writing class. With their teacher, an accomplished writer who herself was a refugee in Vietnam as a child, the girls expressed their stories through writing and poetry. They write, give feedback to one another, and recite their poetry in front of their friends. One member, Farzana, was invited to read her writing at Jakarta Intercultural School on their United Nations Day. In front of hundreds of people, she passionately spoke of her dream to become a human rights lawyer and fight for women's rights.
Although each member has her own dream for GG, they all hope to become more independent, share their knowledge with the community, and support one another. Ariane, who continues to serve as a GG advisor, says, “Each of us are unique individuals. We are all good at something, we can teach our community members something that we know and contribute to supporting another person.”
