There were a range of cultural problems we faced while trying to reach our goals. We had several issues with the head of the private religious school. Initially we were assured that the religious teachers had no problem with the children doing activities and playing sports with us, as long as the boys and girls didn’t touch each other. He also agreed that military volunteers could enter the women’s area, in order to carry out repairs in the girls’ dorm. We agreed that the boys and girls would sit separately and that, even during activities, we would make sure that the boys and girls didn’t have any physical contact. However once the games had started, teachers from the school sent word that activities such as singing and dancing had to stop and that the children were only allowed to sit, and had to do so without smiling. The children were worried about being punished after we had left so we had to curtail our activities.
There were also problems when it came to construction, with many local men refusing to help out while being willing to take handouts and donations. We had to get across the message that this was a community project, so we needed the full help of the local people to work towards bettering the lives of local children. Most of the local women and children appreciated we were there to help but unless we are able to involve more local men in the future, we will face problems meeting our goals and engaging communities. Without the men’s help, we’ll be reliant on the military to bring in donated goods and help with the construction projects.