Girl Child Network Worldwide shares Best Practices of over a decade`s work in Africa

Girl Child Network Worldwide (GCNW) emerged out of multiple personal experiences, collectively representing a proven track record that is acknowledged around the world, making it possible to move seamlessly from the African village to the global village. The Girl Child Empowerment Model (GCEM) started in Zimbabwe in 1998 in a classroom in a poor high density suburb and is now being replicated in other parts of Africa and all over the world.

Abuse of young girls recognizes no borders, cultures, creed or color. It is all around us, representing massive loss of human potential as well as a gross violation of human rights. In order to   effectively   combat these atrocities, GCNW takes a unique empowerment and proactive rather than a welfarist or reactive approach, and in so doing acknowledges and brings forth the inherent strength and power within every girl child.

GCNW has collected, collated and codified data from over a decade of helping over 300 000 girls in Zimbabwe and some parts of Africa.  In order to replicate the model, GCNW has now set up a Global Center of Excellency to lead and ensure high quality standards during massive roll out of the model.  Girl Child Empowerment best practice model is tried and tested and is  based on real life experiences and realities of what worked and brought tangible results at grassroots level .Below is a snap shot of some best practices and a holistic empowerment package for girls to be shared during replication of the model in four African countries;

• Girls Empowerment Training Tool Kit
• Girls Empowerment and Education Fund
• Girl Child Transformation from victim to survivor to leader strategy
• Building grassroots advocacy and speak out forums for girl child rights advocates

Girl Child Network Worldwide comes in to fill in a very critical void in support for girls by providing direct general support funds to individual girls in communities where they lack the financial means to reach their potential.This is a revolution in the philanthropic world where girls from rural areas begin to receive life-changing small grants directly. GCNW has aroused the eagerness, zeal and innovation in girls to stand up and do something to unleash their potential and get access to safe funding.

Since 1998 to date, the Girls-at-Risk Support Program has tracked and tackled over 70,000 cases of child sexual abuse in six of Zimbabwe’s provinces, providing legal and psychosocial support to abused girls and their families, taking a dual approach through prosecution of the abusers and rehabilitation of the abused children.  Most of the girls who have been supported in this way have managed to return to their education, including several who have since completed tertiary education. GCNW will put together a best practice Girl Child Transformation from Victim to Survivor Manual based on our successful interventions in Zimbabwe and Africa.

The girls` empowerment clubs will be the nerve of the organization and a Girls Empowerment toolkit for girls will ensure every girl is modeled into a leader at every level of school, home and community. GCNW will catch girls whilst young to facilitate their potential to speak out and join in local, regional and international advocacy.