Educate Local Leaders for Community Development

Thanks to your continued support, GRACE Cares continues to deliver measurable, locally led impact in 2026. As you'll read below, your donations are supporting practical, community-driven work across all five of our partner projects.

Kenya – Watha Project

The Watha Project kept up its momentum this spring. In partnership with AMREF Kenya, the team received 30 additional beehives to expand sustainable apiculture training, building on hives already in place with harvests expected soon. Watha also launched a new community-driven goat farming initiative, distributing 50 Galla goats to families and groups to strengthen household income and food security. Galla goats were specifically selected for their hardiness in arid and semi-arid conditions. Ahead of the region's heavy rains, Watha partnered with BOMBI Dispensary to deliver a WASH workshop at Habura and Garsemuke villages, reinforcing sanitation and hygiene practices at exactly the moment communities need them most.

Guatemala – GuateBuena Association ‍

GuateBuena continued strengthening its community banking and family development work through April and May. Financial awareness workshops on responsible credit use and productive investment reached savings groups made up of 350 families. Separately, workshops tailored to organized women's groups directly benefited 150 families, covering topics including women's health and hygiene, family savings, entrepreneurship, student motivation, and women's empowerment. GuateBuena also supported 50 new families in accessing solidarity loans through the Government of Guatemala's Land Fund program, providing financial education to ensure responsible use of those resources.

Zambia – YOCUPA

YOCUPA expanded both its team and its partnerships this spring. Keziah Daka and Shuko Kasonde, two graduates of Matero Girls Secondary School and ASHAGS program, joined the YOCUPA secretariat as eCPR practitioners and ASHAGS Coordinators, and are now running sessions with newly recruited ASHAGS members at their former school. YOCUPA also hosted members of the Brave Movement Zambia for planning discussions ahead of an upcoming 24/7 Child Hotline in Zambia, aimed at removing child sexual abuse material from online platforms. Separately, YOCUPA signed an MOU with the Zambia Popular Theatre Alliance to launch a joint anti-electrical installation vandalism campaign in Kabwe District, extending YOCUPA's Theatre for Community Action model into a new area of community safety.

Dominican Republic – Project Hearts

Project Hearts' Community Health Leader graduates continue to drive impact well beyond their training. Fiordelis recently joined a volunteer group at a local elementary school to help students with hands-on activities. Several graduates, including Maritza, regularly collect water tank payments on behalf of neighbors who are at work when the Project Hearts team comes through, ensuring no family is left out due to scheduling. Betty continues to invite the team into her community's school to co-deliver educational presentations directly to children. Since 2014, Project Hearts has graduated 103 Community Health Leaders, with a new cohort beginning as early as June 2026. Seven women have already confirmed, with the team working to bring a few more out of their comfort zones to reach a goal of 10 new graduates.

Zambia – MYEP

MYEP continues its commitment to literacy and youth education in Lusaka, though the program is currently navigating a difficult funding environment that has limited the scale of recent activities. The team remains focused on sustaining access to reading and learning support for the children who depend on it, and is actively working to secure the resources needed to fully resume regular programming. Continued support from donors during this period will be critical to helping MYEP maintain its presence in the community it serves.

Looking Ahead

These updates reflect what locally led development looks like in practice: leaders who return to their own schools to teach, graduates who keep showing up for their neighbors years after training, and organizations that adapt and keep moving even when resources are tight. As we head into the summer, your continued support will help our partners sustain this momentum, particularly for programs like MYEP and YOCUPA that need it most right now.

Thank you for believing in community-driven impact and for helping ensure that your donations are put to meaningful use.

Warmly,
The GRACE Cares Team

Links:

• GRACE Cares Website
• Sign up for our newsletter here:
• GRACE Cares Project List

Thanks to your continued support, GRACE Cares made measurable progress in 2025 and we have the numbers to back up our impact. GRACE Cares is a lean operating model directing 90% of expenditures to programs. As you will read below, your donations supported practical, community-led interventions that are producing real results.

Kenya – Watha Project 

IIn 2025, Watha delivered 9 WASH workshops across 6 villages, training 556 community members (211 men and 345 women) in safe water, sanitation, and hygiene practices. The project also distributed 10 beehives and supported small-scale irrigation efforts, resulting in reported agricultural outputs of 19 maize yields and 17 crates of tomatoes. These activities combined health education with income-generating support, reinforcing long-term sustainability.

Guatemala – GuateBuena Association ‍  

GRACE Cares is proud to support the GuateBuena Association’s economic empowerment and financial literacy programs. In 2025, community banks supported by GuateBuena reported $185,583 in savings, $47,978 in profits, and $1,198 in social funds, while capacity-building activities reached 350+ families. The COFOCOPI cooperative reported 14 members, $23,000 in savings, and $4,000 in profits. GuateBuena also supported 80+ women artisans through the Ixoqi program, resulting in the sale of 21,000 hats, and facilitated the installation of 140 efficient cookstoves, benefiting 140 families through improved household safety and fuel efficiency.

Zambia – YOCUPA   

In Zambia, GRACE Cares supported YOCUPA’s youth-led theatre and training initiatives addressing child abuse, gender-based violence, and social behavior change. 22 young artists were trained and engaged in a national theatre production, reaching approximately 300 audience members at its premiere and 600 students at Matero Girls Secondary School. YOCUPA also trained 30 district-level stakeholders and 32 local artists in Theatre for Community Action, followed by a community test performance that reached approximately 500 community members.

Dominican Republic – Project Hearts 

In the Dominican Republic, the Youth Empowerment Program served 114 youth, with 82% attending all nine sessions and 95% completing the program. Six participants received educational aid, and three secured scholarships. Community learning activities reached 565 adults, teens, and children, including 172 youth in school-based workshops and 137 participants receiving health education led by Community Health Leader (CHL) trainees. Additionally, Project Hearts expanded clean water access to 335 people through 101 household water tanks, with 90% of associated micro-loans on track or repaid, supporting ongoing impact beyond the initial investment.

Zambia – MYEP 

In Zambia, GRACE Cares’ parner MYEP focused on literacy and school engagement. In 2025, the Books on Wheels initiative delivered 42 reading sessions, engaging 1,680 pupils (775 boys and 915 girls), and schools reported a 25% increase in pupil attendance. MYEP also established 2 Nutrition Clubs, assigned 1 nutrition officer, and partnered with 2 hospitals, strengthening the link between education and child health services.

Looking Ahead

These results reflect GRACE Cares’ commitment to locally led development, where modest investments in training and education enable communities to design and sustain their own solutions. As we move forward, your support will allow us to continue strengthening leadership, expanding access to knowledge, and building systems that create lasting change.

Thank you for believing in community-driven impact and for helping ensure that your donations are put to meaningful use.

Warmly,
The GRACE Cares Team

Links:

• GRACE Cares Partner Projects
• Sign up for GRACE Cares Monthly Newsletter Here