OCTOBER | 2026

Dear Friend,

Across our network, clubs celebrated International Day of the Girl Child, bringing young people and communities together to honor girls’ voices, dreams, rights, and potential.

This year’s theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights,” reinforces work that happens every day through GSGC’s locally led mentorship. By creating safe spaces, building trusted relationships, and supporting educational success, our clubs help girls develop the confidence and agency to shape their own futures, by choice rather than circumstance.

At Project Luangwa, girls joined forces with Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust and the Time + Tide Foundation for a celebration of girls' strength, resilience and potential. The event highlighted the importance of education, mentorship, conservation and community partnerships. 

Racheal, one of the girls from Project Luangwa, also shared a poem she wrote about being a girl and her dream of becoming a nurse.

At Sisonke, youth used poetry, speeches, music, and drama to challenge child marriage and advocate for girls' rights. Boys also participated, reinforcing the important role they play in promoting gender equality.

As one boy shared, "We should not marry young and we should not force girls to marry."

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who generously donated on IDOG 2026! Together, we continue to create spaces where girls are heard, supported and encouraged to pursue their dreams!

CLUB HIGHLIGHT

Trailblazers Boys Club: Going Against the Tide

When boys arrive at Trailblazers Boys Club, they often carry with them powerful messages about what it means to be a man. Mentor Frank Chikosi invites them to question those ideas and blaze a different trail. In a space without judgment, they learn to speak openly, build confidence, support one another, and treat women with respect.

Over time, strangers become family, and boys begin imagining the responsible, compassionate men they hope one day to become.

MENTOR MOMENT

What happens when a mentor challenges her own assumptions about what young people need?

For Gloria Mubita, a mentor with Believe Girls Club in Zambia, a conversation with a young girl prompted her to rethink an approach she had relied on for years: building confidence.

Gloria still believes confidence is important. But she has learned that effective mentorship starts with understanding each young person as an individual, recognizing their needs, and knowing when to guide, listen, or simply be present.

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