Last week, the Form 2 students, who will be Daraja’s second graduating class in 2013, were asked to consider short-term goals they can set for themselves that will lead to one long-term goal by the time they graduate. In their previous lesson, the girls were taught that goal-making is SMART:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound

Teacher Victoria asked the girls to close their eyes and imagine themselves as a village of one. When asked how many people they saw, the girls answered three: the student, the social and the spiritual aspects of their lives. “What do you want to achieve in 2 years?” asked Victoria. “You can get that with the help of your short-term goals.”

The girls sat down individually to decide on two short-term goals for each aspect of their lives.

Academically, Alice A. said she is aiming to “join in different activities so I can know my talent.” Susan said she will “make sure to listen to pieces of advice from my teachers and colleagues” as one of her social goals. And Teddy plans to “acquire wisdom from the aged in my community” to help develop her spiritual side.

The girls sketched drawings of how they would like to see themselves when they graduate. Some of the sketches that were shared showed a girl being lifted up by rows of people; the map of Kenya cheering and saying, “Great work!”; and drawing of a woman in a beautiful dress holding several certificates.

After a few of the girls had shared their goals, Victoria told a story about one of her friends who reached her long-term goals only to realize that she was not passionate about what she had chosen to pursue. She told the students that sometimes we may not reach our goals, or that our goals may change in time, and that’s okay. “A WISH lady will not despair. She’s a woman who can try again.”

This week, the girls talked about ethics and what it means to be an ethical woman. Carol taught the students that ethics are “moral principles that influence your behavior.”

Some of the characteristics of an ethical woman the Form 2 students came up with are: trustworthy, faithful, honest, respectful, self-controlled and mindful. As for an unethical woman: indifferent, unkind, undisciplined, arrogant, selfish and tough-headed.

All the girls in the class agreed that they are ethical women. When Carol asked about the importance of having ethics in society, Elizabeth said it’s important to have ethics because “you will get people’s respect.” Margaret agreed, saying ethics will “help you avoid regrets in your future.”

To finish the lesson, Carol asked how being a student at Daraja and attending WISH classes has instilled new ethics in the girls. Joyce said she has learned more about respecting others and Gitwa told the class that she has learned to embrace the differences in people.