Where do you get your sense of worth? Your sense of value? From your family? From your friends? From yourself?
This month we are talking about value. How much are you worth? How do you decide? Does it come from inside of you? Or from things your friends and parents tell you? What about social media?
People all around the world struggle to feel worthy. Some succeed more than others. Let's take a look at a story about a young girl in Kenya and how her community views what she's worth.
Think About
- Think of a time when you felt like you had no value? What did that feel like? Do you still feel that way? Was there a particular person who made you feel that way?
- How do you define your worth and value now? Where do you get you sense of self worth from?
- All girls are valuable. But how we measure our value varies from culture to culture. For some girls, like the girl in the story, their value is based on how much livestock they can bring to their families through marriage. For others, their sense of worth comes from how beautiful others tell them they are. How do you and your friends measure your worth and value? Are there any similarities between how you measure your worth and how girls in other countries measure theirs?
- What if you were only worth as much money as you could make for your family? How would that change how you see yourself?
- What can you do today to make someone else feel valuable? List three examples.
Activities
- Take Time to Reflect. After watching this month’s topic video, complete the following on a piece of paper: “I think… I wish… I feel… I need… I hope… I want…” to help work through what you are feeling and learning. Use these prompts as conversation starters with your friends, family, or send us your responses via video.
- Teach Someone. Check out this website which shows the average price girls are sold for in different countries. Go online and see how many things you can find that are “worth” more than a girl. Make a poster displaying what you’ve learned. For example, draw a car on one side of a sheet of paper and a girl on the other with the heading, “which do you think costs more?” Hang in a public location.
- Remind Yourself You Matter. This month, create an inspirational poster for yourself to serve as a reminder of why you are worthy, appreciated, and loved. Your poster can say “I matter!” Or “I have a voice!” Whatever you need it to say to remind you that you matter, your voice matters, and that you are so valuable to the world and to MGA. When you’re finished, snap a picture and share your poster with us. Then hang it in a place where you will always see it.
Remember
What can YOU do today to make a difference? The answers to many challenges lie in you. What can you do to help the girls around you and the girls around the world? Give a presentation to your class? Start a conversation on social media? Host a fundraiser? Whether you do something big or small, YOU can make a difference.
Learn Even More
- Books to read: Sold; Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery
- Films to watch: Half the Sky; The True Cost
- Online Resources: What is Human Trafficking, Your Questions Answered; Human Trafficking TED Talk
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