Sex Ed.

For the past two weeks, I have been going to El Alto to help with sex education workshops in local schools.  The idea is to use sex education as a preventative tool for sexual abuse.  In most cases, especially in El Alto, few schools provide adequate sex ed. or any at all. As in most places its still a taboo subject. With younger kids we start out talking/singing (yes, its back to Bangkok basics) about emotions, then go into talking about their bodies and lastly we do the preventative part or connecting emotions, touch and bodies; what is appropriate and what is not.  Giving them knowledge about their bodies and allowing them to realize their value.  We do get parental consent before we go into the school, if not it could be really bad. Have I mentioned that they linch people here? Oh yes. 

Last week we were teaching a group of 9 to 11 year olds, using a puzzle that created the body of a girl and boy, we were asking them to name the body parts as they put it together.  There is always much hesitation when it gets down to the genitals, a hush comes across the classroom and the child with the main body piece blushes and passes off the piece to the child next to them.  Sometimes it takes a good 15 minutes to get anyone to give any name they may know for the part that differentiates a boy from a girl. The best response so far is "partes nobles" or "noble parts" for boys. It was cuter and funnier coming from an eight year old Bolivian boy.  Everyone usually giggles and then eventually they know all the parts that make up their bodies.

Presenting kids with knowledges and appreciation for their bodies gives them more authority when it comes to taking care of themselves.  I have realized how silly it is that we teach children the correct names for most part of their bodies, but make up nicknames or don't even mention the names of genitals.  Some kids in our classes said they knew the name, but they said it was a bad word and they couldn't say it aloud. How sad is it that we devalue part of our bodies? All the more when it is the part that gives life? I realize that this isn't just an issue in Bolivia, but across the board.  There is fear in providing correct information, what are we fearful of? A child knowing how to correctly name her/his body parts?  The is fear in the unknown, but once its known the fear tends to fade.  Children shouldn't have to feel uncomfortable about how God made them. 

If I have a child, he/she will likely be like the little boy on Kindergarden Cop, "boys have penises and girls have vaginas."