Ga Ke Bidiwa Baby!

   I will first start out by saying that most people in my village have been very kind, respectful, and welcoming to me. I have friends here and am grateful for them. I can honestly say that I enjoy my work at the schools in my village, and for the most part I enjoy the company of the people I work with. Typically, when I walk down the streets of my village people call me by name now or politely wave and say "Dumela". Most of the time I enjoy walking around my village and seeing familiar faces. Overall, it feels like home.
   However, there are a select few people in my village who continue to disrespect me, and that is something that I'm finding frustrating this week. These people are men in my village who know my name but still continue to call me "Baby" whenever they see me These are people who continue to try to ask me out or ask for my phone number when I am busy trying to work with the youth in my village, even though I've told them again and again that I am here to work and not to date anyone. These are people who I see or hear about disrespecting other women or girls at the schools in my village. These are people, who in my opinion, are an embarrassment to their country and culture because they behave in a way that goes against what the majority of their country promotes. I am angry and frustrated by these men who are rude to me ( I do not feel unsafe here so no worries there), but mostly I am saddened by the fact that this is what the young girls here are growing up to deal with all of the time, and the  young boys in my village are watching these men behaving this way and maybe learning that it is acceptable behavior.
   My name is Neo or Kristen and not "Baby", and these women and girls have names, brains, and personalities too. I won't let the small group of jerks ruin my day, week, or service. I'll stick with the people who matter and hope that the kids here are learning from the positive role models around them instead of from these guys.