Educate and Empower 18,000 Girls in Zimbabwe

As the year draws to a close, the Sandra Jones Centre has felt that it is important to prepare the vocational girls for reintegration into their societies. Equipped with practical knowledge of how to rear poultry, plant, care for and harvest vegetables, the vocational girls stand a fighting chance in this world, a chance to earn a living and sustain themselves together with their families without engaging in exploitative work. These girls have applied themselves, showed great determination and commitment because the work they do is physically rigorous, work that is often done by men and yet they have persevered. In undertaking such work the girls have learned that they too are able to achieve whatever they set their mind to.

As such, the agricultural training program has been more than just an opportunity to gain money making skills but has been an opportunity for the girls to become stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights. When they take their breaks they have life skills sessions with one of the staff members at the Centre. So many topics have been discussed in this year from personal hygiene and etiquette to planning and decision making. The result has been growth in leaps and bounds, with the girls forming relationships with one another and striving to do better each time. Additionally, the girls have learned so much about themselves. They have become aware of and accepted their flaws, they have resolved to change what they can, they have learned to co-exist with different personalities and work well together, they have acquired emotional intelligence and realized that timing and sensitivity are extremely important when it comes to communicating and relaying messages.

What started out as a journey to acquire practical agricultural skills and knowledge has become a year long lesson in ‘doing life amicably with other human beings’ and has empowered the girls in unexpected ways. In December these girls will graduate and leave this place having developed intellectually, physically, socially and spiritually thus sending back into societies some well-rounded, hardworking, amazing young women. All of this life changing work could not have been achieved without our great friend the American Foundation for Children with AIDS. Thank you for providing this opportunity to educate and empower girls. We are so grateful and extremely excited to see what the future holds. We look forward to changing and impacting lives hand in hand for years to come.

The team here at the American Foundation for Children with AIDS thanks you for supporting this project and the work we do for the children in Africa.  As you start to make decisions regarding your end of year giving, please keep us in mind so we can continue our good work into 2024 and beyond.  We wish you a new year full of many blessings and as much hope as you have shared with us.  If you would like to learn even more about what we do or how you can meet some of the children you have helped, please contact Tanya Weaver at tweaver@AFCAids.org.