You are seeing this because you have not yet updated your iBlog. Click on settings to edit...

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

Message from Memory Bandera, Country Director, GCN Uganda

Guest blogger 

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 year, 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

Girl Child Network Uganda

.