This is my first time posting on the S4Si blog, so first an introduction. My name is Hampton Neal and I am a rising senior at UNC majoring in Women's Studies and minoring in Social and Economic Justice. I have been involved with S4Si all three of my years at Carolina: I was a member of the Fundraising Committee, then helped lead the same committee the following two years. I am thrilled to be a part of this summer's Tanzanian Delegation Team!
I have been in Zanzibar for nearly three weeks now, and I have taken in so much so far! The people here are very friendly, and some even take a few minutes to teach me new Swahili words. Stone Town is a true adventure, because every day I find a new part with new alleys, new shops, and new places to eat! The food here is quite delicious, and even as a vegetarian I am enjoying the many flavors that people use here in their cooking (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves, to name a few). Alison and I have even had a few adventures beyond Stone Town: to watch Ghana beat the US in the World Cup at Kedwa beach, to build a fire and watch the sunset and stars on the sand bank, and to meet the tortoises and snorkel at Prison Island! Every day is here is full of learning and fun!
In between the experiencing of this new place, Alison and I have also been busy with preparing the new Mentorship program and beginning to process of new scholar selection. We have met with two of the three women who were hired last year, Muhaymina and Salha, to discuss the specifics of the program and begin the sharing of ideas and improvements. Tonight we will be meeting with the third woman, Sophia, to do the same and then all five of us will meet to discuss the upcoming month of piloting the mentor program. We are very excited to hear more of the mentors’ thoughts on what they can do to enrich the lives of S4Si’s scholars. Alison and I have also visited Ben Bella and Lumumba Secondary Schools and have met with the officials and teachers in order to identify the girls that most deserve and need S4Si’s scholarship. We have handed out applications to these girls, and will be receiving them back at the end of the week. There have been a few difficulties with getting in touch with Mombassa Secondary School, so we will be visiting them this week after Nida arrives.
Nida arrives tomorrow! I am very excited for her arrival, but I am also disappointed to inform the readers that our fourth delegate, Amanda Gabriel, will not be able to come to Zanzibar this summer due to passport and visa mailing complications. We send her our best from Zanzibar, and we hope that her summer is able to be reconciled despite the months of planning for this trip.
- Hampton
A woman in the developing world will reinvest 90% of her earnings into her family’s well-being, compared with 35% for a man.