With 250 or so Kids attending the Club, it’s hard to imagine that any child could ever be lonely. But for Malana that’s what the Club was like for her. She expressed these feelings during a Smart Girls meeting. She said that she feels like she has no friends at the Club and there is no one to know if she’s having a bad day. I watched in amazement as I heard other Smart Girls attendees extend offers of friendships and listening ears to her. And their offers were not just lip service. Over the next couple of weeks, I began to see Malana smile a lot. I realized that it was because she was making friends. The smaller group of the Smart Girls Program was the environment needed for this to happen for her. I’m glad we have Programs that bring kids together and makes sure not child is left lonely.
