GlobalGiving Project of the Month Club

Dear Project of the Month Club Member,

We hope your September is off to a happy and healthy start! We are in awe of you and the 597 other club members that came together to give $26,717 last month to Whispering Seed and its project MyanmarYouth Sustainability Training Centre, which works to bridge the traditions of sustainability and holistic education through innovative programs while drawing on rich local wisdom and traditional cultures.

This September, your generous contribution will support our nonprofit partner Zindagi Trust and its project Art for 3200 Schoolgirls in Pakistan. 

Zindagi Trust’s mission is to reform Pakistan’s state schools by helping the government implement a holistic curriculum that lets students thrive. Through Art for 3,200 Schoolgirls in Pakistan, Zindagi Trust leaders will implement a modern art program at two government schools in Pakistan’s biggest city, Karachi, so young girls can express themselves creatively — a skill that is overlooked by the current education model. Through these integrated programs, students will naturally connect their studies to the outside world, whether it’s on a trip to the local museum or a visit to a mural painted by a local artist. This method of connecting students to the world around them through art not only improves school attendance and learning outcomes, but it also encourages students to explore their interests and passions later in life.

Despite the lockdown, Zindagi Trust has continued to support 2,300 students channel their creative spirits at home. Care packages bursting with activities that promote mindfulness, gratitude, reflection, and fun were distributed to the children to help them cope in isolation— a powerful reminder that art is more than just another extra-curricular. 

Head of Special Programs and Advocacy Sana Kazmi expresses her thanks to you and other Project of the Month Club members for supporting their mission:

“I am thrilled and deeply touched to hear this news! Funding for continuing learning and reopening schools is scarce given the competing priorities brought about by the pandemic. We were afraid we may have to scale down our art program despite knowing that it is needed now more than ever. After spending almost six months in isolation, our school children need to feel the joy and connection of creative pursuit as well as the emotional outlet and release that their art classes provide. Thank you so much for helping us find a way to make this possible!”

Sana went on share plans for how your generosity will power their efforts this year: 

“Your contribution will enable us to create unique, local art experiences for 3,100 students. After a gap of more than six months, we will be able to continue our weekly art classes. Thanks to your generosity, we can buy enough art supplies so all children can create art safely without having to share supplies, as we return to on-campus classes with post-COVID-19 safety measures. We will now also be able to put out teaching resources, art lessons, and DIY tutorials for children beyond our schools, as your gift helps us support our faculty of seven art teachers across two large under-resourced government schools. Finally, our art teachers, who have been recently empowered through extensive training on Mental Health First Aid, will be helping our students make the transition back to school easier. They will be making check-in calls leading up to school re-opening and providing guided care as lay counselors at a time when the mental well-being of children is more important than ever for their success at school.

Keep up with Zindagi Trust’s work by checking out their most recent updates from the field.

We are so grateful for your commitment to support community-led change. I can’t wait to share where your generosity is headed in October!

Stay safe and well, 

Alix Guerrier

GlobalGiving CEO

Dear Project of the Month Club Member,

We hope you are staying safe and healthy during this challenging time. GlobalGiving and its partners are incredibly grateful for the generosity of you and the 590 other club members that came together to give $21,700 last month to Fihankra Akoma Ntoaso (FAN). Its project, Launch DC's First Youth Peer Support Center, provides youth currently or previously in foster care with opportunities to nurture their interests and talents, acquire new skills, and focus on their well-being.

This August, your generous Project of the Month Club donation will support our nonprofit partner Whispering Seed and its project Myanmar Youth Sustainability Training Centre. 

Whispering Seed’s mission is to bridge the traditions of sustainability and holistic education through innovative programs while drawing on rich local wisdom and traditional cultures. With cultural diversity and new models for sustainable development in mind, Whispering Seed is pioneering creative solutions for the challenges Myanmar will face during its critical years of development.

Whispering Seed’s Myanmar Youth Sustainability Training Centre project works hand-in-hand with local community members. The rural training center helps youth in the rapidly developing country learn about and maintain traditional practices of living in harmony with nature while incorporating new ideas, principles, and technologies for a more sustainable future. Through the skills and awareness trainings and workshops the center offers, youth can change destructive and unsustainable patterns in their lives and remain connected to their roots.

Founder Jim Connor shared his excitement and gratitude for being chosen as Project of the Month:

“We are overjoyed to hear the news of our Myanmar Youth Sustainability Training Centre project being selected as Project of the Month Club for the month of August. We are grateful for your support to help make a greater impact on the youth we work with in Myanmar. During these extremely challenging times we all face, your support is even more relevant to help us empower and build capacity among our youth in the areas of self-empowerment, education, and sustainability.”

Connor shared how your generosity will impact Whispering Seed’s operations throughout the year:

“The funding will allow us to set up our first training for local youth and villagers to build the first natural building at the center, teaching them cost-effective techniques for building sustainably. We will then be able to host other youth empowerment workshops and begin to train a team of local youth leaders to work with us through our new center. Additionally, the funding will help support our teacher training internship for teachers working with children from remote and underprivileged backgrounds.”

Keep up with Whispering Seed’s work by checking out their most recent updates from the field.

Your generosity is making a difference. Thank you for doing your part to support community-led change, and I look forward to sharing September’s Project of the Month with you soon.

Stay safe and well, 

Alix Guerrier

GlobalGiving CEO