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Word from our Executive Director
Dear Partners and Friends of GSGC,
It is a pleasure to share our next newsletter edition with you, and my first introductory word within them. With so much inspiring progress across our mentorship community, we have some meaningful updates and stories to share. This month we especially celebrate the generosity of 32 volunteer judges from around the world who supported our Creative Expressions Contest. Their contribution has helped young people’s creativity to flourish, and we warmly invite you to join us for the official launch on Saturday, September 6. It will be a joyful gathering with mentors and youth sharing how creativity has become a powerful tool for expression, healing, and change. We hope you will join us, and share the event with those near and dear to you so our circle of support can keep growing.
In this edition you will also find our 2024 Annual Report, stories of transformation including Melikhaya’s journey from bird poacher to conservation ranger, news of the new Youth Mentorship Centre in Livingstone, the latest alumni-led iTHUBA newsletter, and a spotlight on our partners at Project Luangwa. We also extend an invitation to experience the heart of our work through a life-changing travel journey.
Thank you for being part of the circle of support that makes this transformation possible. None of this would be possible without you, and we are deeply grateful for the role you play in this work. For more regular updates, we encourage you to connect with us on social media.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Tara Casey
| | Don’t Forget to RSVP: Creative Expressions 2025 Launch Party! | | |
The countdown is on! Join us on Saturday, September 6 for a joyful online celebration as we officially launch this year’s Creative Expressions Contest. You’ll hear directly from Mentors and youth about how creativity has become a powerful tool for expression, healing, and change. Whether you’ve already marked your calendar or still need to register — we’d love to see you there!
| | You can also click "attending" on the Facebook event, and let your friends know about it there! | | Our 2024 Annual Report is Here! | | |
We’re proud to share our 2024 Annual Report, highlighting a year of deepened impact, bold creativity, and continued growth across our mentorship ecosystem in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Madagascar. From new partnerships and safe spaces, to storytelling milestones and Creative Expressions breakthroughs — this report brings to life the numbers, names, and narratives that shaped our journey last year.
Whether you're a donor, partner, or friend, we invite you to explore the stories that your support made possible.
| | We Invite You To Come Full Circle - “This Trip Is Life-changing” | | |
Those were the first words a traveler shared after her recent visit. She and other supporters came to witness the Global Sojourns Giving Circle’s work in action—meeting mentors, connecting with youth, and walking through the communities that their support has touched. They also had the thrilling experience of being out on safari- taking in the beauty of the landscape, the thrill of wildlife viewing and learning about how GSGC’s work is connected to this. It’s a journey where purpose and wonder meet—and one we’d be honored for you to experience.
Here’s a sample itinerary we recently designed for GSGC supporters. You could enjoy this exact experience or let us customize one just for you.
| | From Bird Poacher to Conservation Ranger: Melikhaya’s Story | | |
Growing up near Hwange National Park in rural Zimbabwe, Melikhaya spent his afternoons hunting birds with a catapult — a generational tradition passed down in his community. But everything changed when he joined Tikobane Trust, a GSGC-supported club in Dete. Through the power of mentorship and exposure to conservation, Melikhaya’s view of wildlife began to shift — from prey to purpose. With support from his mentors, he applied to train with the Conservation & Wildlife Fund, and today, he stands proudly as the youngest ranger in Hwange National Park — protecting the very species he once hunted.
This short film is the second in our Youth Storytelling Series — a profound reminder of what’s possible when belief, opportunity, and community support come together.
| | New Youth Mentorship Centre Launches in Livingstone! | | |
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of a brand-new Youth Mentorship Centre (YMC) in Livingstone, Zambia! Led by GSGC Regional Coordinator Nyika Muyambo, this new space will serve as a hub for mentors to connect, collaborate, and build capacity — while also offering youth and alumni a safe, supportive environment for learning, leadership, and growth. As one mentor shared: “Having a Youth Mentorship Centre in Livingstone, to me, means shine bright. It’s about equipping young people to reach their full potential, fostering leadership, unity, and positive change.” This centre mirrors the success of our first YMC in Zimbabwe and marks another step in strengthening our network of community-rooted mentorship.
| | Club Spotlight: Project Luangwa, Zambia | | |
In the rural buffer zones surrounding South Luangwa National Park, gender norms can be hard to challenge — but for over a decade, our partners at Project Luangwa have been doing just that.
Through mentorship programs supported by GSGC, the clubs in Mfuwe, Zambia have grown from a bold idea into a trusted safe space for girls and boys to learn, share, and shift long-held social expectations. From breaking silence around menstrual health to cultivating new role models in conservation and tourism, these clubs are building bridges between tradition and transformation.
In our latest Club Spotlight, we reflect on this powerful journey of partnership, patience, and progress.
| | iTHUBA Newsletter – New Edition Now Live! | | |
The 2nd edition of the iTHUBA Newsletter is here! Crafted, and content directed by our very own alum, Ratidzai Matumbura.
Fresh from the Youth Mentorship Centre in Victoria Falls, this second issue is packed with real impact and rising voices:
Created by alumni, for alumni — and full of momentum.
| | An entry for Creative Expressions 2025 from Farai (16) at Sungomukoshi Girls Club in Livingstone, Zambia. This one has not made it as part of the finalists, but we wanted to give it a space to shine. | | | | |
