Guest post by Katie Hyde
Photograph by Rachel Fenimore
While the surgeons, pharmacists, and physicians worked away in Ouelessebougou, Rachel, Jessica, Katie, Abby, Sophie, Boi, and I spent three days in Daganbougou, Boi’s village.
Our three days there were a whirlwind of activity: decorating the school, gifting the students with new textbooks, notebooks, and utensils, playing countless soccer games, learning how to make tea, and soaking up precious time with the villagers of Daganbougou.
But of all of the activities that we did there, my favorite was our all-girls party (plus Boi) the last night we were there. Even Dr. Tammy drove out from Ouelessebougou for the evening!
All of the girls wore their very best clothes for the evening, and excitedly gathered to walk to the school with us, where the party was held. We began the evening by painting every girl’s finger nails in bright colors and sticking flower tattoos on their hands. Then Tammy spoke to the girls about hygiene and encouraged all of the girls to continue to work very hard in school.
We ended the party by giving every girl a handmade headband, decorated with fabric flowers and buttons. The girls’ faces lit up to receive the gifts. We told them to always remember when they wore the headbands that they are beautiful, special, and important.
The next day, every single girl who attended the party was showing off her headband.
The headbands, the nail polish, and the stick on tattoos were simple gestures, but simple gestures done with great love. And that, I learned, was what matters the most.
Katie Hyde is a high school senior, participant of the recent MMF Mali mission and Editor-in-Chief of her high school newspaper, Dart.
Rachel Fenimore is also a high school senior and participant of the recent MMF Mali mission.
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