Talented Entries, Empowering Prizes

Don’t miss your chance tomorrow, July 31! It’s the final day of voting in the 2022 Creative Expressions competition among girls and boys in GSGC-sponsored clubs in Zambia, Madagascar and Zimbabwe! Club members worked their hearts out to showcase their talents, thoughts and hopes. Take a look and support their efforts. They love this competition as much as we rely on it for fundraising!

Creative Expressions is a win-win. The financial challenges of attending school in Southern Africa can be daunting — and the Creative Expressions prizes help keep young people learning and on their way to a life of greater opportunity. And your donations keep our programs robust. 

A Life-Changing Experience: Understanding the True Meaning of GSGC's Work

“What really hit me is that hope is the most valuable gift GSGC clubs can offer their youth.” — Suzanne Firth, GSGC supporter, Toronto, Canada

Read about one GSGC volunteer’s exposure to mud, thatch, boreholes and hope on a recent trip to rural Zimbabwe, and how it led to a deeper understanding of GSGC’s impact on youth.

Here’s a glimpse into her experience: “I wish to thank GSGC for the work it does with girls,” said Eustina Dube, the grandmother of a GSGC-sponsored club member. “Too many girls from Jada’s school have dropped out … I am so grateful and proud of the fact that my granddaughter is working hard to complete her secondary education.” 

Isepe Girls Inspire Others

The tall, bright sunflower fields planted and nurtured by Isepe Girls Club are eye-catching, to be sure. The flowers are a source of money to buy school and sanitary supplies, and the prolific fields are a source of pride.

Last month, word of the sunflower fields’ success spread in the rural area west of Livingstone, Zambia, when Isepe Mentor Pestrida Muleya and club members participated in a regional agricultural show. The local agricultural officer invited farmers in the Mwandi district to make presentations about their crops with the goal of sharing information, inspiring one another and finding markets for their products. 

Mentor Pestrida started the sunflower fields to help shield her club members and their families from the pandemic’s economic impact – no tourism, no income, no food. The village head man gave her a plot of land, and two harvests later, the yellow fields are the result.

The club members took center stage at the show, speaking about sunflowers as a healthy resource for the whole community – animals and people. Mentor Pestrida said while money is still scarce, two farmers promised to buy Isepe sunflowers to feed their livestock, when they have cash. 

“Other farmers were congratulating us, saying that they had tried to plant some but failed to harvest because they died or were eaten by goats,” Mentor Pestrida said.

An added benefit: sunflower seeds contain vitamins and minerals that support the immune system, increasing the ability to fight off viruses. 

"I'm glad that there is a club like this one in our community." ~ District Commissioner, Mwandi

Art Auction, Fundraiser and A Glimpse of Africa: Saturday, Sept. 10

Come enjoy art work from Southern Africa and the Pacific Northwest while supporting youth in clubs Global Sojourns Giving Circle sponsors in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Madagascar. Come learn about our Giving Circle and the communities we serve half a world away. Enjoy refreshments as you select your painting or basket or pottery, read club displays, and view a short, looped film about GSGC — and more!

When: 5-8:30 PM

Where: The Ripple Space, 275 W. 3rd St., Vancouver, Wash.

Some GSGC-sponsored Mentors are accomplished artists, and our Creative Expressions competition nurtures the talents of girls and boys in the Mentors’ clubs. This event honors the abilities of people on both continents and raises money for continued mentoring that keeps youth on a path out of poverty and into greater opportunity. See you there!

Tickets are limited. Act now!

Ruth is Heading to Nursing School

A longtime member and now alumna of Believe Club in Livingstone, Zambia, Ruth, 18, is the first in her family of seven children to pursue a university-level education. She will attend Livingstone College of Nursing and Midwifery to earn a diploma in Public Health.

“I’m excited about Ruth going off to college,” said Mentor Racheal Musonda Ng’andu. “The fact that she’s going to do something so difficult, it’s amazing. I am so proud of her. I’m excited to see how she will be in the next three years. 

“She’s changed. She’s grown. She’s matured. How she speaks. Ruth would rarely miss a meeting,” Mentor Racheal explained. 

“It’s always encouraging to see the girls be the best versions of themselves,” she said. “I’m excited to see the girls change. It shows that whatever we’re doing as Mentors is making a difference.”

Listen to the Donor Conference Call

Did you miss our donor conference call on July 16? Listen to board member Heidi Johnson Bixby and supporter Daron Deonier talk about their recent visit to Global Sojourns Giving Circle-sponsored clubs in Zimbabwe. Their trip, arranged by Global Sojourns, highlighted the value of mentorship for youth, families and the community.

Inspiration: Tomato Bounty from Sisonke

Sisonke Girls Club members recently harvested a terrific crop of tomatoes

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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