Program in Practice

My name is Juliana Liscio. I’m a sophomore at Niles West High School and this past summer, I volunteered for Expanding Lives.  I first heard about the organization from the founder herself, my French teacher Ms. Natzke. One day in class, Ms. Natzke explained that she had started a non-for-profit organization to improve the lives of Nigerien women.  I thought the program sounded really awesome, so after class I mustered up my courage and told my teacher I wanted to help out.  I received a big hug and from then on, I was in.

Of the three really great weeks that I spent getting to know the Nigerien girls, the day that sticks out in my mind was the last day before the girls returned home. We had a really fun day taking the girls shopping to purchase gifts for their families, getting our hair braided into cornrows by the lovely Aichatou, and eating delicious Indian food prepared by some volunteers.

Eventually however, it was time to say goodbye, an incredibly difficult thing to do. We all sat around the room hugging and bawling our eyes out. I felt guilty that I would be returning to my lovely air-conditioned suburban home, a home in which I would never need to worry about being forced into an early marriage, having a shortened education, or about experiencing a lack of water. I was also sad that I was saying goodbye to girls in whom, despite a language barrier and cultural differences, I had found friendship.  When those Nigerien girls said that they loved me, I knew it wasn’t the “OMG I like, LOVE her!!!” kind of sentiment often expressed by teenaged members of capricious “friendships”.  Those girls genuinely cared about me, and I cared about them too.

One of the few people who remained dry-eyed throughout our lengthy exchange of hugs and sobs was Ms. Natzke. She kept repeating, “This isn’t the end, it’s only the beginning.” It was not until later, when I heard about the major successes of previous Expanding Lives girls, that I understood what this meant. Our Expanding Lives young women have been immersed in a country to which most Nigerien people will never travel; they have had experiences that most Nigerien citizens never will. Even before coming to Chicago, our girls had set themselves up for success by doing well in school despite major challenges in their lives.  However, the experience of traveling to the United States gives them automatic status in their country, a difficult thing for a young woman to gain in Niger.

Even though the last night of the Expanding Lives program kind of felt like the end, I now understand why it is only the beginning. I can say with certainty that the girls were sent home with new skills and new statuses that will enable them to succeed in school and in life. Though that last night was the end of our three week program, it was the beginning of an improved life for six Nigerien young women and the people they will touch throughout their lives.