Give a girl a safe space, and you give her hope, a voice, a choice and a chance.  

A safe space — whether it’s a classroom or under spreading tree branches — is among the nine foundational pillars underlying the success of Global Sojourns Giving Circle-sponsored youth clubs in Southern Africa.  

Safe spaces are where Mentors provide girls, and boys, with private and trusted advice and lend a compassionate ear or steady shoulder to lean on. And fun! In communities where girls traditionally have little agency over their lives, safe spaces are crucial to their physical safety, improving their academic performance, boosting their self-confidence and nurturing their minds and spirits. They are where Mentors perfect GSGC’s motto: I see you. I hear you. I believe in you.  

The nine tenets emerged after working with Mentors — dynamic local changemakers — to balance deep-seated cultural practices and values with nontraditional thinking and skills to empower girls and strengthen communities. GSGC’s support of Mentors and clubs in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Madagascar is aimed at two ultimate goals: everyone having the opportunity to live a life of dignity and breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. 

Over our 15 years in Southern Africa, the principles and practices we found most effective are: Community Buy-in; Safe Spaces; Small Groups; Frequent Meetings; Know Your Youth; Programming; Support Academic Achievement; Fun, Creative & Interactive; and Culture of Giving Back. The model is replicable and sustainable.  

In March, we wrote about how Sisonke Trust cultivated acceptance of a boys-for-girls-empowerment club in Monde village near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and how that acceptance has blossomed into support, recognition and participation. In other words, Community Buy-In.  

A Look Into the Clubs: A Video Primer 

See where your donation goes and how it’s used in A Look Into the Clubs. It’s a visual treat. 

While GSGC’s nine fundamentals create continuity across the club community, each group’s programming is designed by the women and men — the Mentors — who run the clubs. Their network is tight; they support one another by exchanging details of successes and failures, sharing ideas and resources, and tackling topics ranging from academic excellence and career guidance to gender equity.  

Still, Mentors tailor their programs to the needs of their youth to their own skills and interests. When members of Isepe Girls Club in rural Zambia faced food and income shortages after the pandemic halted tourism, Mentor Pestrida Muleya asked the village head man for a garden plot. Harvests later, girls have learned new ways to provide food for their families and proceeds from sales pay for school supplies and sanitary products.  

At Tikobane girls and boys clubs in Zimbabwe, literacy takes center stage.  

Also in Zimbabwe, Sisonke Boys Club Mentor Nyika Muyambo decided his club members should look at family roles with a new perspective. He took boys into the kitchen, traditionally the domain of girls and women, and now they know how to bake rolls and bread and are helping in their own homes. 

When governments shuttered schools because of the pandemic, Believe Club Mentors Gloria Mubita and Racheal Musonda Ng’andu in Zambia and RiseNShine Mentors Sfe Sebata and Shorai Matambanadzo in Zimbabwe picked up where teachers left off. They held small classes outside, keeping youth focused on learning and older students preparing for all-important exams. And Mentor Gloria’s counseling skills pulled some girls through tough times. 

The list goes on. But A Look Into the Clubs, produced by Obscura Films of Zimbabwe, will give you a better understanding of the people you support, their creativity, resilience and wide-ranging skills.  

For a deeper look, don’t miss Mentorship: A Pathway Out of Poverty. Also produced by Obscura Films, it profiles one Mentor, her motivations and accomplishments. 

First Art Auction and Fundraiser: A Success

A huge Thank You to all who participated, one way or another, in our first art auction and fundraiser in Vancouver on Sept. 10. It was a hit! 

Founder Priscilla Plummer and Board Member Paige Hasson grew up in walking distance of where we gathered, but still, new friendships emerged and new supporters joined our circle. Importantly, we are delighted that we exceeded our financial goal! 

Treasurer Heidi Johnson Bixby did a masterful job organizing and hosting the event, and her presentation about GSGC set the stage beautifully for Priscilla’s heartfelt talk about our Mentors, their impact on youth and their communities, and the growing demand for more programs. Several visitors had tears in their eyes as Priscilla described what a privilege it is for us to partner with such talented social entrepreneurs and see the increasing accomplishments among the youth.  

And deep gratitude goes to longtime supporters Barbara and Russell Ford who suggested an art auction in the first place. A gem of an idea!  

Thank you to everyone who contributed! Together, we are finding exciting ways to share the GSGC story, which, judging by the atmosphere in the room, inspired others and brought people on two continents a little closer together. 

The Bigger Picture

Tikobane Boys Club Mentor Ndelende Ncube was in the news recently when Al Jazeera sought his expertise for a story about human vs elephant conflict in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s most diverse park.  

There, elephants destroy farmers’ corn crops during the dry season, jeopardizing people’s food supplies and their safety. As founder of Tikobane Trust, a conservation-based community group, Ndelende could offer a local perspective about the growing number of human-elephant encounters. 

To help minimize human-animal conflict, Ndelende and the three other Tikobane GSGC-sponsored club Mentors have made conservation and anti-poaching education core principles of youth clubs they formed.  

Read about the problem and what Ndelende says.

10th International Day of the Girl 

People around the world will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl on Tuesday, Oct. 11. OUR TIME IS NOW — OUR RIGHTS, OUR FUTURE is the theme.  

As always, our clubs will celebrate the day, and we can’t wait to see how and where they will put their efforts. We’ll share with you what we learn.  

Meanwhile, we can stand with girls we serve in Zambia, Madagascar and Zimbabwe — and girls throughout the world. The UN suggests four actions we can take: 

• Share human interest stories, blogs and videos of girl changemakers and the organizations that girls lead 
• Engage government officials, policy makers and stakeholders to target investments that tackle topics of gender inequities 
• Engage women influencers across industries to be the face of change 
• Amplify your commitment to raising awareness. 

Begun a decade ago by the United Nations, the event has focused greater attention among governments, policy makers and the public on issues that matter to girls. Yet investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to face challenges to their health, education and life opportunities. 

We at Global Sojourns Giving Circle are working to change that imbalance. Please join us.  

Inspiration

A Sisonke Boys Club member dreams 

We are a 501(c)(3) registered organization, so your donation could be tax-deductible. You also can donate stock; read alternatives to donating cash to GSGC. 

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