Participating in the Roots Tribe Yoga (RTY) program was something I knew I wanted to do when I applied to be a PCV. I was pleased to be selected to join the five days of Ambassador Training with Gambian teachers, and be a counselor for the twenty students who came to the camp. I have had a personal yoga practice for over forty years, and completed a two hundred hour teacher training at Indigo in Salem Oregon in 2016. Spreading the benefits of yoga is a passion of mine.

Philipa von Kerckeinck also known as Mati Cham, (her Wolof name when she was an Education PCV in The Gambia from 2007-09), facilitated our Ambassador Training at the PC office in early August.  Shortly after Philipa completed her MA in International Affairs and Development, she was working to complete a 200 hour yoga teacher training, when it struck her that yoga could be a powerful tool for development. RTY was established in 2014 as a holistic approach to cultivate positive change throughout the world – one person at a time.

Shelley and Linda were the primary facilitators and organizers for the Ambassador Program and RTY Girls Camp. Along with  Chelsea Gomez, these three PCVs were involved with RTY last year. This year PCVs Samone LaShalle, Caitlyn Winders, Anna Rains and myself took part in the five day training with teachers from all over the country. The Ambassador Program trains individuals to teach the RTY curriculum in their own communities. Currently RTY is active in South Africa, Swaziland, The Gambia, and has pilot projects in Zambia, Moldova, Armenia, Argentina, Panama, and Peru.

RTY’s MISSION is to use the practices of yoga, mindfulness, and play to empower young adults to step into their fullest potential, and create positive change.

RTY’s VISION is that children everywhere can grow up with a rooted sense of empowerment, compassion, and interconnectedness.

RTY’s VALUES are Unity – Cultural Diversity – Mindfulness – Movement

My counterpart for the Ambassador Training was Kumba Jobe, a general science and home studies teacher at the school where I work. A requirement of becoming a RTY Ambassador is to return to your community, and teach a twelve week RTY program.  I am excited to work with Kumba and her students during the upcoming academic year, using the concepts, lessons, and materials provided by RTY.

The ambassador goals include:

1. To understand and embody the values of RTY.
2. To be prepared to do what it takes to create change throughout the world, one child at a time.
3. To share the power of yoga in its broadest sense, as a means to cultivate love, movement, fun, laughter, exploration, games, mindfulness, meditation, and creativity.
4. To create a safe and loving space in which children may explore themselves, and become better acquainted with their personal power and potential.
5. To have fun, learn, gain experience, and improve their own way of life through exploration, leadership, love.

The RTY curriculum has three components: ME – YOU – WE

ME – The first four weeks of a RTY program focus on raising self awareness and cultivating self love. This is a fundamental step in celebrating a students individual qualities, and leads to the broader concepts of unity and interconnectedness. Individual yoga poses will be taught, emotions will be explored, meditation concepts will be introduced, and recognizing our personal power will be emphasized. In order to create change on a big scale, it’s essential to begin on a personal level.

YOU – During the second four weeks of the RTY program, students will be broadening their perspectives from themselves to those they find around them. Concepts of giving and receiving, responding and reacting, actions and intentions will be explored and reinforced for self esteem and good communication skills. Partner poses will be taught to emphasize the importance of supporting each other. Students will be asked to recognize and value the other people in their lives (family, friends, community), and to validate everyone in a positive light.

WE – The final four weeks of a RTY program will merge the previous two concepts. The students will then be ready to delve into themes such as unity and interconnectedness. They will explore what it means to be an individual, while simultaneously being part of a group. Group poses will be taught, discovering the suitability of working together to complete a task. The importance of maintaining personal asana practice that includes breathwork and meditation, will be reinforced throughout the program. At the end of the twelve weeks a ceremony will be held to celebrate the students becoming part of the RTY “tribe”.

Yoga is for every “body”, something I’m well aware of as I continue to practice yoga into my 70s. Musa is a science teacher with a disability, but his bright smile, inquisitive mind, and can do attitude was an inspiration to all of us. He will be an outstanding role model for his students, demonstrating that you can be adapt the poses to meet your personal needs.

ROOTS TRIBE YOGA CAMP

The last week of August eighteen girls from all over the country attended a five day RTY camp at Shalom Retreat Center in Kombo. Twenty girls were scheduled to attend camp, but unfortunately two students were unable to attend due to last minute family commitments. It is very common that a girl will be required to give up her plans to satisfy the needs of her family. RTY endeavors to give all students tools to negotiate for their personal needs, but that can be a slow and on going process.

The camp followed the three part RTY curriculum format of: ME – YOU – WE. Students were taught individual yoga poses, and three multiple pose sequences to use for their personal practice, and share with others. Self-care and self-awareness, celebrating differences and valuing cultural diversity, fostering an individual’s right to make decisions for their personal well-being, and cultivating a sense of community and oneness across all cultures, were some of the RTY goals for the campers.

Breath work, journaling and meditation were new concepts for most of the girls. Introspection and taking time for themselves can be difficult in a society that is communally focused. We encouraged the girls to be mindful as they became aware of their bodies, emotions, thoughts, actions, and words. Emphasizing the many benefits of maintaining a yoga practice, such as physical and mental  health, cultivating inner peace, and supporting each other as they broaden their horizons was woven into all the lessons. The intention was for them to develop the confidence to set personal goals, and make plans for their future, as they navigate the cultural challenges they will encounter.

The YOU phase explored concepts of giving and receiving, the difference between reacting and responding, and communicating through intentions and actions. The girls were unfamiliar with some of these terms, so games and partner yoga poses were taught. Conveying new ideas can be difficult, and we were grateful for the two Gambian teachers who participated in the camp, and helped translate new concepts into the local languages.

Time was allocated for coloring mandalas, creating beadwork jewelry, and making RUMPS ( re-usable menstrual pads). Lack of good sanitation facilities at schools, and supplies to manage menstrual periods, can be a deterrent for girls to attend classes during their monthly cycles. RUMPS can be made with readily available (material scraps, buttons, needle and thread), and sewing is a skill all girls are proficient at. As they were sewing, conversations about female sexuality, and cultural practices that don’t always benefit girls were broached. FGM (female genital mutilation) is officially outlawed in The Gambia, but some of the tribes still regularly practice this procedure, referring to the practice as female circumcision. Empowering people to challenge detrimental cultural practices, is something PC endeavors to address on many levels.

PC staff member, Haddy Sowe, gave a comprehensive presentation about the opportunities for the students to continue their education after senior secondary school. Each girl received materials about how to apply for the various university programs, and a discussion was held about how to balance marriage and a career. They were very attentive and took lots of notes – I think many of them will become change makers in their communities.

Haddy has been an integral part of the PCV support system, and some of the programs she worked on were RTY, Media Team, and GAD (gender and diversity). She recently retired from PC to join her husband in the US, and although she will be greatly missed, I know she will find new opportunities to inspire others.

One morning was devoted to successful Gambian women sharing their stories. The role model panel included: Mariana – an actress and news commentator, Yama – an architect student, and Haddy – a tailor. These careers are male dominated, and each shared their experiences breaking down gender barriers. They also talked about the importance of research and perseverance to reach your goals, and that not all careers require a University degree. The questions the girls asked showed their interest in learning how to succeed in this male dominated country.

Another presenter was Isatou Ceesay who wrote the book “One Plastic Bag”. She started The Women Initiative Gambia, an association that recycles plastic waste into beautiful products, and creates jobs for Gambian women. I wrote about Isatou in my Literacy post because I had brought her book with me from home, so I was very excited to meet her and hear her tell her story. You can also watch a video, and learn more about her accomplishments at these two websites: Climate Heroes and Afrix21.

The WE phase was devoted to developing unity, interconnectedness, and valuable support systems. They learned group yoga poses, requiring them to rely upon each other to execute them correctly. They discussed and wrote about who is part of their support system, and how they can become a resource in their schools and communities. As each girl discovered her own personal power and developed her voice, you could see their individual and collective strengths emerge. I am confident that this Roots “Tribe” Yoga experience has given them another tool for success.

One component of RTY is service. They worked as a team to brainstorm YES WE CAN project ideas for their schools or communities. After developing a project concept, they made posters explaining their ideas, and presented them to the whole group on the final day. When they return to school, they will be part of a twelve week RTY program offered to other students. The leadership skills they learned at camp, will be an asset designing and implementing YES WE CAN projects.

A strong sense of community between the group was evident, and they shared phone numbers and social media handles before departing. There were many tears during the beautiful candlelight closing ceremony, which only strengthened their desire to stay connected as they move into adulthood.

Each girl accomplished a great deal during the RTY camp week. Many encountered things for the first time in  their lives. Some of the girls had never traveled far from their local villages, or spent time away from their families. Staying at a peaceful retreat facility, overlooking the ocean, was another new experience for them. It was a delight to watch them playing in waves, doing yoga poses in the surf, and being awed by how the ocean meets the sky.

Witnessing them blossom, as they developed more self confidence, and set goals for their future was very fulfilling for me. We encouraged them to continue their yoga practice throughout their lives, and hopefully I showed them that yoga is something that you can do at any age.

A special thank you to Media Team Leader, Akshay Deverakonda – a third year PCV, for taking photos during our Ambassador Training classes and at RTY Camp. Enjoy his outstanding YouTube video of Roots Tribe Yoga Camp 2018.