To facilitate learning and increase one's probability of actually learning something and not just memorizing it temporarily, variations is needed. That is the reason for why I try to vary my lessons at the women's shelter so they will not be to monotone. I do not want them to be empowered just during the time that I am there, but rather that it will sink in deeper and become a more substantial part of who they are. 

So therefore I combined a classic Filipino style way of making bracelets (with so called loombands) but incorporated empowerment in it. This by buying many different colours and giving each colour a meaning, which I wrote down next to them in both English and the local language here in the Eastern Visayans (Waray-waray) to ensure that everyone would understand. By having each colour representing something, the women was given the possibility to tailor their own, personalized bracelets representing their strengths. 

Among others, Pink represented "Ready and strong enough to leave the past behind and focus on the present and future" which quickly became a popular colour to use (as you see on the picture above) since many of the women have been realizing the importance of this during my time here. Blue represented independence, Purple strength, Yellow respect towards ourselves, and so on. 

They ended up doing many different bracelets and in the end many of the women was confident enough to make bracelets containing all of the colours and what they represented, feeling that all of the positive traits represented who they are. Before I left I gave each of them a note where I had written down (in both languages) what each colour represented in order for them to save in their pouches so they would not forget it. Each time they look down on their arm they will now be reminded about their individual strength. So as stated in the headline, confidence do make quite a good accessory. 

Picture of some of the first bracelets that was finished