Get Ready for IDOG 2019!

“I am so excited to see what the girls come up with for the competition; we can expect some pretty amazing submissions!  Shawna Regna, GSGC Volunteer  In preparation for International Day of the Girl - the United Nations sponsored annual celebration of all things girls and girls education - GSGC recently gave a challenge to the 350+ members of our GSGC girls clubs: creatively express, in whatever way feels right, what it means to be a girl in Africa. GSGC Field Representative, Smokey "Prince" Dube, explained to the girls how the competition will help raise awareness and money for GSGC during the October global event. Girls will first share their submissions within their respective club, the club will select the top three entries, and then all of the top entries will be shared on the GSGC website and Facebook pages in early October to be voted on by GSGC supporters on a pay per vote basis.      GSGC volunteer Shawna Renga was with Smokey when the contest was announced. “It was so incredible watching the girls' faces as Smokey introduced the creative expression competition! Their faces held questions at first as they pondered what exactly we were talking about. But then one by one I could see them get excited. Their smiles were beautiful! And the questions they asked reflected an enthusiasm that was infectious: ‘Can we read a poem?’ ‘Could I share a recipe?’ ‘What if I filmed myself doing a science experiment?’" Shawna added, “And then squeals of delight when we announced that the girl who creates the entry that receives the most votes from GSGC supporters, will win a smart phone! Clearly, getting their own phone is universal motivation for teen girls!” Stay tuned for sample submissions and the opportunity to vote on the top entries submitted by each club.

Welcome, Auntie Racheal Musonda

“I like working where I can see results and be part of positive change.”   Racheal Musonda  For years, Racheal Musonda has lent a hand. Now she lends an ear to Believe Club members — girls in Livingstone, Zambia whom she mentors as a GSGC Auntie. “I’ve always loved working with people," said Auntie Racheal, 29. “With Believe Club, you’re making a difference in someone’s life and get the satisfaction of seeing a change in a girl.”

Learn more about Auntie Racheal, her belief that “knowledge is power,” and what she is learning from the girls.

Donor, Mentor, Advisor, Friend

“GSGC is a way to get directly to the people in need.”  Jerry Greenwald Charitable giving was a cornerstone of Jerry Greenwald’s upbringing. Even when times were tough, he remembers his mother and her friends setting aside money for those less fortunate. As a youngster, the Arlington, Virginia resident became a supporter of CARE’s humanitarian efforts which began sending relief packages to Europe after World War II.   A decade ago, Jerry became one of Global Sojourns Giving Circle’s earliest supporters. GSGC’s small size and grassroots focus stood out from larger organizations’ modus operandi and brought charitable giving to a more personal, more meaningful level he said recently. “Most charitable giving is pretty blind,” Jerry said. “You write a check and send it off. You might hear from their fundraising person. It’s rare to meet someone like Priscilla, someone who really has their hands and heart into it." Read more about Jerry’s philosophy on giving and his multi-faceted support of GSGC.

You Have The Power To Change Lives Thanks to your financial support, GSGC-sponsored girls and boys clubs help youth in Southern Africa envision and obtain a brighter future, and break the cycle of poverty that grips their communities. The impact is real: Girls club alumnae are attending university, starting careers or businesses in their villages or towns, and—perhaps most rewarding—are becoming aunties and starting girls clubs to support the next generation. GSGC-supported boys clubs are talking to village leaders about the benefits of supporting equal education for girls. Girls and boys are constantly asking GSGC aunties and mentors to create more clubs. And community leaders, who once viewed us with skepticism, now challenge us to expand our community-driven programs. T he majority of GSGC annual donor renewals come in during September and October, just before the end of our fiscal year, October 31. In addition to our special fundraising campaigns, like the I AM A GIRL IN AFRICA contest described above, the influx of renewals support enables us to expand and finalize our budget for the next year. Over the next few months, many of you will receive our annual renewal request with information about GSGC's growing ripple effect throughout Southern Africa. We humbly and enthusiastically ask you to please continue, and if possible increase, your support.  You are setting our girls and boys, and their communities, on a new course of possibilities.

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