Realising My Dream

Definitions

Dreams, aspirations or things we want to be or do in life. The big picture of what you want. Dreams can be deeply personal and might not have a set timeline.

Goals, results you look forward to achieving after a particular period of time.

Short-term goals, results within a day, a week, a month or 1 year: a clean room, maintaining personal hygiene, being supportive at home, being promoted to the next class, having good/healthy friendships, staying away from risky behaviour like fighting, sex, drugs and alcohol.

Long-term goals, results within more than a year: becoming a doctor, teacher, coach, astronaut, or travelling to exciting places. Big dreams you can make come true with hard work, learning and determination.

Obstacles & how to deal with them

Obstacles: financial challenges • self-defeating thoughts and feelings • negative peer pressure • boy-lovers • skipping class • pregnancy • diseases/illnesses • family conflicts.

Dealing with them: encourage yourself always • replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you can do anything you set your mind to • always attend school • abstain from sex and relationships • keep good, healthy friendships • listen to your parents • avoid drugs and alcohol.

Motivating questions

1. What job or career would you like to have? Why?

2. What are some things that you are good at?

3. What are your talents and hobbies?

4. Would you like to go to university?

Dialogue, Juliana and her Mother

Mother: Juliana, how was your day at school?

Juliana: It was really cool, we played this game where we had to say what career we would like to have.

Mother: And what did you say?

Juliana: I said I wanted to be a teacher, maybe a science teacher.

Mother: Does that mean you think you will go to university?

Juliana: Well, yeah, I would have to study lots of maths and science to be a science teacher. Maths and science are my favourite subjects.

Mother: How will you pay for school? You know your father works very hard.

Juliana: I could work… and if my grades are really good, maybe I could get a scholarship?

Mother: How can you get a scholarship?

Juliana: Mrs. Banta said that a lot of students who get really good grades can get scholarships that help them pay for school.

Mother: But how will you meet a nice boy and get married if you're always going to be studying? If you find a nice boy, he will take good care of you.

Juliana: Well, I think I would like to get married… but I know I want to be a teacher.

Mother: And what about kids? You know I want to be a grandmother.

Juliana: I am not thinking about having children yet. I think I should wait until after I have a career, and then I will think about marriage and children.

Q: What obstacles does Juliana face at home? How did she respond to her mother's wishes for her future?

Exercise: Vision Board

Lead the girls in drawing a vision board of what they want to be in the future, a specific career.

The vision board should include why they want to be that, and what they are doing to get there.

Use pictures, words and magazine cut-outs to express your vision for the future.