Jen Richard's Princess Day

'Princess Party' was started by Mollie Roper and Jennifer Richards. They came up with the idea while brainstorming fun things to do with younger host sisters. Mollie has an urban placement and Kaolack and Jen live in a rural village site 25km south of the city. Jen's village host sisters had never before been to a city.

They decided it would be a wonderful experience for the village girls to go to the city for a 'slumber party,' as well as a good experience for Mollie's younger siblings in the city. They spent a few weeks sorting out all the details and planning fun things to do with the girls in the city.

Last May, Jen took her host sisters Lena (age 4) and Hadja (age 5) in a taxi to Kaolack. It was one of their only trips in a car and they were fascinated from the start. Once in Kaolack, they stopped for juice and snacks before taking the girls through the market, picking up a couple treats for them along the way. They toured the city, stopping in boutiques, the post office and the French Cultural Center. The girls were wide eyed, delighted, and a bit overwhelmed with Kaolack. They met up with Mollie in her neighborhood and got the party started. Mollie's sister Aminata (age 8) was thrilled to be assistant hostess and to make new friends. Other siblings joined in some of the fun and games too.

The day included coloring, dancing, watching Disney films, playing games, and lots of yummy snacks and goodies. Mollie gave the girls matching necklaces, which they immediately fell in love with. They enjoyed all of the activities, and in particular playing with balloons, dancing and toss-and-catch games. The girls had a blast. It was a joy to for both Mollie and Jen to pamper them and throw an American style sleep over. The girls learned about each other, about the city, and, hopefully, about having fun!

Both Jen's and Mollie's host families seemed amused and impressed at the lengths they went through to pamper the young princesses! It also initiated a lot of discussions, with host families as well as other PCV's, about the importance of activities, travel, and fun for children, girls in particular. They plan to do it again in the near future, possibly include some of the older girls in their families or throw them their own party. They are also currently brainstorming more day trips to do with the girls...

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