The Vagina Monologues

A few weeks ago a couple of the foreign teachers came up with the idea of staging The Vagina Monologues. It is part of the V-Day program.

"V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler's award-wining play The Vagina Monologues and other artistic works"

So I volunteered when they said we didn't need acting experience, could read our monologue from cards and not have to memorise them. It was all pretty low-key.

That was then - now it seems a lot bigger with over 150 tickets sold, press coverage and the big day looming - next Sunday.

10% of proceeds goes to Women in the Congo (this year's campaign spotlight) and 90% goes to a local Women's Centre/Refuge. So yesterday we visited the Centre to see what they do and how we could best help. It is run by a Catholic Group. It can house 6 family groups at any one time, average stay is 9 months and there is a waiting list. They aim to have the woman able to live independently which also means supporting herself and family - I don't think there is much of a social security safety net here.

This was one of the classrooms...

and a computer lab

...another classroom

I think this was the room for their Women's Hotline

This was the living space for a family - usually the woman and 2 children

And the communal lounge area with TV and internet/computers

Then we sat down over morning tea to have a chat. Fortunately someone's co-teacher had come and we had her translate.

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A group photo outside.

We adjourned back to someone's apartment for lunch and a run-through of our dialogues. She (whose apartment it is) is an engineer - hence she doesn't live in a shoebox. It was luxury - spacious, huge kitchen and benches, real lounge furniture ... sob.

Above are 2 Koreans and an American rehearsing their part - which deals with the Korean Comfort Women from World War 2. It is a very powerful dialogue and they do it brilliantly.

We also prepared for one of our fund-raising projects - here it was wrapping the chocolate vaginas - which will be sold on the night.
So now I need go practise....