Girl Tok is a digital feminist wellbeing program supporting teen girls through a series of interactive modules, improving digital literacy, wellbeing, confidence and communication skills. The program was originally launched during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns in Sierra Leone, creating an accessible digital platform for girls to continue learning. 

Schools have since reopened in Sierra Leone, and Girl Tok has been redesigned as a digital after school program. Girl Tok is delivered online and remotely using WhatsApp on low-tech mobile phones, uses little data and functions in areas with poor internet connection. 

The program has a core focus on mental health and wellbeing and is designed to be fun and foster connection and friendships, whilst supporting access to important information and skills development.

What we've been up to!

Since the successful 2020 pilot of Girl Tok, we have been hard at work evaluating, strengthening and growing the Girl Tok program and curriculum. Each lesson has been reviewed and tailored to reflect evaluation outcomes gathered from the pilot cohort. 

The updated curriculum focuses on four key modules;

1. Sexual health and consent 
2. Mental health and its relationship with overall physical wellbeing
3. Body positivity and the complexities of self talk 
4. Digital literacy

Each of these topics have been identified as integral to the development of teens and young people, in both their day to day lives and for their futures. Providing a holistic approach to lesson planning and delivery, the redesign uses a positive feminist lens to look at the dynamic and human components of wellbeing, self esteem, sexual health and gender based violence. Read on for more details on our work to grow Girl Tok for an even greater impact in 2021!

Evaluation

After the completion of the 2020 pilot, we conducted an extensive evaluation of the program. This examined what took place in the program, and identified the main outcomes and learnings to assist in program redesign and development for the next phase. Overall, the participants reported very positive outcomes and offered considered suggestions for program improvement.
The full 2020 Girl Tok pilot evaluation is available here.

Research

Research, research, and more research was undertaken during program redesign. After the evaluation was completed, we undertook an examination of literature and resources that focused on girls and teens, as well as digital learning.

The 2020 Girl Tok pilot was developed with a curriculum over a 3 month timeframe, across a total 39 lessons and 11 countdown lessons. Girls played an active role in updating program curriculum, where all changes were informed by reflections gathered in the program evaluation. Using best practice pedagogy, incorporated with innovative lessons, this curriculum focuses on health and wellbeing, empowerment and sexual health and rights, whilst building critical skills such as digital literacy. This updated curriculum will be delivered over a three month period. 

Redesign!

This new version of Girl Tok incorporates practical ways for girls to utilise mindfulness tools and techniques when presented with symptoms of stress, anxiety and trauma. This builds on self-esteem, positive self-talk and celebrating bodies, in order to uplift young women, build  understanding on healthy relationships and rights and how to actively use their voices.

Digital literacy is an imperative skill that many girls and young women in Sierra Leone do not have access to or the opportunity to learn. The new phase of Girl Tok develops essential digital literacy skills for girls, thereby increasing access to jobs that require digital skills (of which they have been traditionally excluded), such as in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. Throughout Girl Tok, girls will progressively build their toolkit of digital skills, whilst learning about topics such as plagiarism, questioning, understanding sources and digital identity and footprint. They will also begin to learn about how to use social media safely and responsibly.

Dope or Nope?!

It’s important that all girls in the program have their thoughts and opinions heard. To ensure this happens, we have designed and incorporated a weekly ‘Dope or Nope’ quiz. It’s a short, online quiz at the end of each week's session, asking girls what they liked and didn’t like about lessons and activities. It provides an opportunity for girls to share information on how they are tracking in the program and any issues they may be experiencing. ‘Dope or Nope’ will generate the girls' feedback into ongoing and future content design and delivery.

Support Networks

We work hard to ensure that there are sufficient support networks available for all participating girls. We do this by engaging parents, guardians and the broader community,  as well as ensuring that mentors are trained and comfortable in lesson delivery and guidance.  

As some of the topics explored within the program, such as consent and sexual rights, can be quite confronting, we work to ensure that all girls, mentors, and One Girl staff feel supported and safe. Program participants receive regular wellbeing check in calls from One Girl Field Officers and we support mentors and One Girl staff with psychosocial training so they feel equipped to support girls through the program.

Girl-led

Girls are at the centre of everything we do at One Girl, and their voices and opinions are integral to our programs. In May 2021, we held two content review and test sessions with girls to test aspects of the new curriculum. 

Incorporating the girls during this phase of redesign ensures that we are taking on board their thoughts and opinions about what they like and don't like – so the program truly meets their needs. It also provides the opportunity to test the length and quality of lessons and activities, whilst monitoring phone data usage prior to the commencement of the program.

Mentor Training

Mentors are crucial to the roll out and success of Girl Tok. Mentors act as female role models for girls in the program, offering safe and inclusive spaces for girls to engage and share their experiences. Girl Tok mentors are made up of alumni from other One Girl programs, who share our One Girl values and goals. We recruit young women who are natural leaders, and eager to empower the next cohort of girls. Mentors participate in a two day training session to learn program curriculum, digital literacy and online leadership.

WE  SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

At One Girl we are all about Sustainable Development Goals, and are working to meet these targets in all of our programs. Girl Tok is centered around three key goals;

SDG 3

Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages

Girl Tok was initially created in response to COVID-19, aiming to reduce the impact of lockdown and school closures on girls' health and wellbeing. As Girl Tok continues to grow, a key module focuses on ensuring girls feel equipped to maintain personal health, both physical and mental. Through the program, girls are supported to develop and maintain social connections of their own, expanding their networks and knowledge. 

Girl Tok focuses on building girls' self-esteem, confidence and agency to make decisions about their bodies and life direction, whilst equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. One Girl combats this by promoting leadership among young people, increasing SRHR knowledge and life skills, and helping girls stay in school. Furthermore, educated girls are a powerful asset, as they are able to flow information to their families and communities.

SDG 4

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Relaunch!

We are now ready to launch the next phase of Girl Tok, with our inaugural group of girls, commencing lessons at the end of June, 2021. As a digital program it has been designed to be adaptable and flexible, with the opportunity to be tailored to suit other organisations, regions, needs and contexts. One Girl is actively working to build relationships with local women-led and girl-led partner organisations and local stakeholders, to further explore the potential for a broader expansion of Girl Tok, increase the program's self-sustainability and reach throughout the continent.

We are so thrilled we have been able to undertake this program with you. Without the Morris Family Foundation, none of this would have been possible! Thanks to you, Girl Tok can continue growing – supporting young girls to access tools and skills development to thrive!

THANK YOU!

With love, 

Chrisanta and the One Girl team x