PERIOD #4 Article #1 Katie, Colton, Kaitlyn, Melany (this was a group effort...each had a little tid-bit of their own!!!)

Article 1: Sometimes a Girl's Best Friend Is Not Her Father - Examining How Time Affects Cultural Values

LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/featured_articles/990303wednesday.html

Location: Kajiado,Kenya...dusty plateau

Quote: "The school, on a dusty plateau in Southern Kenya, is circled by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, meant not to deter thieves but the fathers of the girls from sneaking them away."

Anecdote:

• In exchange for a girl's hand in marriage, a friend of a father will often give gifts to the family such as a small fortune of a dowry, 10 cows, 4 goats (livestock), more than 200 quarts of home-brewed beer, more than 6 pounds of sugar and a sack of rice.
• The girls must endure genital cutting as a part of their Masai culture. Nearly all of the girls in the school has endure some type of cutting.

Vocab:

Abhorrence- someone or something that is loathsome

Dowry- money, goods, or estate that a wife brings to a marriage

Masai- a nomadic tribe in Kenya

Nomadic- roaming from place to place with no pattern of movement and aimlessly

Story Line:

It is about a school that houses girls and keeps them from having extremly young marriages. Some parents are weary of the school and believe it will corrupt the girls values and traditional culture. They are afraid that women will think that they are more equal and that the nomadic lifestyle will be ruined b/c they will want better jobs. Some girls are victims of sexual violence/assault. There use to be 20 girls...now there are 650.

Beyond: http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/1300/proj1284e.html

"Hodel, oh Hodel, have I made a match for you.

He's handsome! He's young! All right, he's 62.

But he's a nice man, a good catch. True? True!

I promise you'll be happy. And even if you're not,

There's more to life than that. Don't ask me what!

Chava! I've found him! Will you be a lucky bride!

He's handsome. He's tall! That is, from side to side.

But he's a nice man, a good catch, Right? Right!

You've heard he has a temper. He'll beat you every night.

But only when he's sober- so you're all right!

Did you think you'd get a prince?

Well I do the best I can.

With no dowry, no money, no family background,

Be glad you got a man!

Matchmaker, matchmaker, you know that I'm

Still very young. Please, take your time.

Up to this minute, I've misunderstood

That I could get stuck for good."

Fiddler on the Roof