We already offer lessons to children on Saturday afternoons, but the majority of the takers are boys between the ages of 5 and 15. We have often heard from the younger girls here that they don't like to swim with the boys, who can get rowdy and physical, and who tend to monopolize the attention of the swim teachers. Also, last week some of the mothers who came to drop off their sons mentioned in passing that they might like to learn how to swim too. They described that almost none of the women here know how to swim, and that many of them have never even been in the water!It's really hard to believe that anyone could have avoided going in the water, considering that South Caicos is such a small island, but it really does seem to be the case. Several of the local men are involved in the fishing industry and are therefore familiar with the ocean and comfortable in the water. The women, however, are so busy in their homes, taking care of children, cooking, cleaning, and sometimes working at a local shop, bar, or at the clinic. Several of the women are teachers too, but as we've learned through working with the primary school and high school here, the schools' curricula do not incorporate lessons on the marine environment, and oftentimes the teachers do not know much about what lives in the ocean surrounding them or how the ecosystem here functions. All of these factors seems to contribute to women being wary of and intimidated by the ocean. So, we're giving this "Ladies Only Swim Lessons!" thing a try.
It's sometimes difficult to know which cultural norms we (non-locals) should just try to understand and accept without interfering, and which cultural norms its okay to question or influence in some way, which inevitably happens to some extent with every cross-cultural encounter. I'm trying to take my cues from the local women themselves though. While they seem unsure about how to become more at ease in the water and uninformed about the aspects of the marine environment that we at SFS spend so much of our time studying and exploring, the women and girls here also seem extremely curious and adventurous in spirit, even if quietly so.
My hope is that learning to swim may be a source of empowerment for these women, and could encourage them to feel a greater sense of independence and connection to their natural surroundings. I also hope to find out more about the women themselves through this project, and about their particular interests and aspirations (both in and out of the water). It's been a little difficult for me to make personal, individual connections with other women so far, mostly because it is the men who are most visible and accessible in town and at restaurants/bars, stores, and community events other than those centered around children. So, we'll see what new opportunities for education, friendship, and fun this ambitious project presents!
That's the exciting news from yesterday. Less exciting was the fact that I got a flat tire in our SFS pickup truck on the way out to High Point to play volleyball. We had to get picked up in the van by Tim, the site manager, who dropped us off at the court and went back to the truck to plug the tire while we played. Then he came back to pick us up after volleyball and drove the truck back to SFS while I drove everyone else back in the van. The plug lasted the trip back, but it does needs to be replaced. Fortunately, Tim kind of saw this coming and had already ordered 5 new tires which will arrive in the shipment on next week's boat, so at least that story has a good ending. (Thanks, Tim!)The least exciting thing that happened yesterday, which I'm afraid will not have a happy ending, was that I dropped my cell phone off the dock and into the ocean when I went down to greet some of the students after their snorkeling trip. Here it is drying out, but I don't have high hopes that it will work again even once its dry. :(
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