Thanks to a generous gift from a Vancouver, Washington donor, girls and boys in GSGC-sponsored clubs in Southern Africa now have new Believe Journals in their hands! The crisp, blank pages of the prized possession will soon fill with the dreams, plans and doodles of nearly 1,000 youth in 56 clubs you help support. 

Producing the journals became a challenge after the pandemic shut down much of South Africa and a poignant endeavor after COVID-19 took the life of Charlie Okkers, co-owner of Appsolute Media Pty Ltd, the Cape Town company which has printed the journals at a discount for several years. This edition bears a short tribute to his friendship, as well as a poem written by Rise N’ Shine Mentor Shorai Matambanadzo. 

Now it’s up to each girl and boy to make the most of this valuable tool. Maybe they’ll sketch an invention or write a poem. Maybe they’ll divulge challenges and fears or celebrate good grades and acceptance to university.  

Thank you to our generous donor and all who brought this printing to fruition.  

Listen to GSGC Founder Priscilla Plummer talk about how and why she started a giving circle that supports local mentors in Southern Africa. Interviewed by host Kimberly Griego-Kiel of Horizons Sustainable Financial Services of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Priscilla talks about GSGC’s approach to achieving gender equity, the importance of understanding cultural differences, and how deep change starts with women but must be continued by men. 

Listen to Empowering and Educating Girls for Stronger Communities for the full story. 

Date: April 10 

Our first in-person gathering since the pandemic put physical space between us! Come learn more about the growing organization and what’s happening in clubs you support in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Madagascar. We plan to have something special to show you.

Date: Sept. 10 

Auction of works created by artists in the Pacific Northwest and Southern Africa. Come celebrate the talents of friends and Mentors as we help ensure financial support for the future.

Obscura Films, an award-winning production house in Zimbabwe, has turned it cameras toward Global Sojourns Giving Circle!  

The project, "Mentorship: A Pathway Out of Poverty", which focuses on one Mentor, was the brainchild of Christabelle Peech, who grew dramatically more optimistic about her country’s future after seeing the talents, ingenuity and dedication of GSGC-sponsored Mentors and enthusiasm of their club members. 

The short 4-minute film focuses on Girls Time founder Procedure Chikosi, but other Mentors and Priscilla were interviewed, too. Filming wrapped up just days ago. Now we wait for the final product! We’ll keep you posted! 

In November, we put copies of I Am a Girl from Africa, written by the Zimbabwean-born humanitarian Elizabeth Nyamayaro, in the hands of Mentors and girls in and near Victoria Falls. We asked them to write about their thoughts and feelings after reading the book, which was published early last year. 

Mentor Procedure Chikosi, who founded Girls Time club, devoured the memoir and sent her thoughts about the book’s power. She found numerous parallels between the author’s life and her own. Girls Time member Marbel also read the book and, inspired, put pen to paper. Read their thoughtful remarks in our latest blog post.

Ratidzai, now a Girls Time alumna from Victoria Falls, was determined to get a college education. Last year, she used the computer in the club’s safe space to research the possibilities. After all the paperwork, interviews and working as a journalist to earn tuition money, Ratidzai, 18, earned a partial scholarship to Lovely Professional University in Northern India. 

“Being in Girls Time Club is something l will forever cherish. l was taught to believe in myself and grab all opportunities that come my way with both hands and this helped me in stepping up for opportunities."

A girl who had a long shot to get on such a path is now having her life altered forever. The first in her family to go to university, Ratidzai was scheduled to leave Harare in mid-December. But her flight was one of thousands cancelled because of weather and the pandemic’s toll on the airline industry. Still, she revved up her new laptop and joined her Business Administration classes online until she arrived about 10 days later. Congratulations, Rati! 

Nearly 30 GSGC supporters gathered around their computers and phones last month to hear from several members of a Vancouver, Washington group that was the first to visit GSGC-sponsored clubs in Zimbabwe since pandemic travel restrictions eased. 

Hear what Ralph Doggett and his travel companions had to say about what they saw, heard and learned from the Mentors you help support. Even with masks, they had a great visit!  

Coffee or sundowners are welcome -- time-zone appropriate!

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Kangwa Yombwe, Mentor with Wayi Wayi Boys Club in Livingstone, recently won first prize in The Cynthia Zukas Young Artist Award competition sponsored by the Lechwe Trust for visual artists in Zambia. Congratulations, Kangwa! Mother and Child is stunning.

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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