Girl Child Network moving from helping thousands of girls in Zimbabwe to helping millions in the world -Memory Bandera

 Message from Memory Bandera, Country Director, GCN Uganda

It is incredible how rapidly time passes. Although we’ve been working in Uganda for about six months, it seems like only yesterday when we started. As I look back over the past six months, I am moved by the sacrifices of our volunteers in Uganda, as well as the efforts of the communities where we work, and the progress GCN Uganda has made within a very short period of time. This year has been an opportunity for us to develop our capacity in Uganda. While we’ve started the GCN clubs, a bulk of our efforts have been dedicated to putting in place a solid structure. 

Girl Child Network’s work around the world is ten years old. GCN was started in Zimbabwe ten years ago and we have now expanded to UK (GCN Worldwide) and Uganda (GCN Uganda).  With this growth, GCN’s programs will go from helping thousands of girls in Zimbabwe to helping millions in the world over.

I would like to bring to your attention a unique thing that we were able to do this year; take time to interact with our beneficiaries and visit some of them. The home visits that we carried out in the slum areas of Kampala were eye-opening experiences for us and a great way to connect with the people we are working with. We now have a deeper understanding of their lifestyles, problems and expectations. We also interviewed and documented the experiences of young women including girls and women who migrated from northern Uganda running away from the conflict there. As a result of these interviews and consultations with various groups of people, we developed a strategy on more effective programming which will guide us in developing and implementing our programs next year.

On behalf of GCN Uganda, I would like to thank all those who work with and support us in our endeavor to create a better world for children. I wish to thank those that contributed directly or indirectly to support our work; men and women from local communities, local leaders, district leaders, government departments, and fellow NGOs. As we work towards this vision, we look forward to continue to work in partnership with the government, civil society, but most especially with the people themselves.

We look forward to a more fruitful 2012

GCN was born out of the helplessness and hopelessness of the girl child in Zimbabwe with the view to assisting girls in their quest for emancipation. GCN was formerly established and launched in 1999 at Zengeza 1 High as a response to the harsh realities of life of the girl child by founding director Betty Makoni and ten upper six students including Memory Bandera . There are now over 700 clubs and three Girls Empowerment Villages in Zimbabwe.Uganda, South Africa and Sierra Leone are establishing 300 girls and so there will be a total of 1000 girls clubs with a membership of over 100 000 girls just from ten at Zengeza 1 High.

Memory Bandera

Country Director

All the products below are made by the girls at their vocational center 

If you want to support Memory Bandera and her girls please take pass in the call below 

Call to action-Taking Girl Child Network Worldwide to Top 12 in the world –Join us today

Congratulations!!!

Girl Child Network Worldwide is among top 54 girls innovative projects to be selected for Girl Effect  and  Global Giving Fundraising.  It’s a rare honour and opportunity

Our project is now LIVE here http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/girl-empowerment-model-for-100000-girls-in-africa/

.The Girl Effect Challenge runs from October 15th to November 15th to determine which twelve amazing projects will become beneficiaries of the Girl Effect fund for the next year.

Girl Child Network Worldwide is  kindly asking for your support.  What you need to do is simple. Get five to ten of your friends to donate any amount to the page and then their friends` friends to do the same.  Just click here http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/girl-empowerment-model-for-100000-girls-in-africa/

You get tax deductible certificate for your generous donation too as all donations go via Global Giving which is based in USA.

The number of donors  and the number of supporters will determine whether we can make it  to top 12 . How about if you get  up to 10 of your friends giving 5 dollars each and then we expand the network.

In addition, each organization receives an equal share of the contributions made to the Girl Effect Fund throughout the year. This means our projects in Africa will have funding for a whole year and this will make us focus on work on the ground more.

Please feel free to do whatever you can  with your workmates ,relatives, friends,  neighbours and even some donors you know to help in this challenge. Tell them to like the page and to join us on Facebook and Twitter as well as make a modest donation. Please post this on your Facebook or form a group on the campaign.

We are so determined to change girls lives in Africa and your actions will help us do so. Please know that your participation will not end with the challenge. Beyond that,  you will get to know which  girls to directly benefit from this initiative and how the funds have helped the girls as well as helping us to choose which girls self help  projects to fund.

Please do whatever you can to publicise this to all your networks .You are allowed to form a group on Face book on any email list.

Thank you so much for the time and support and Girl Child Network Worldwide cherishes our friendship with you always.

Girl Child Network Team