Women in UK vow to support Girl Child Network Worldwide roll out empowerment programs for girls
The first UK volunteer induction program for Girl Child Network Worldwide was successfully held at a small town in Stan ford Le Hope, Essex on 30 January 2009 . All eight participants who were rated the most committed and passionate women leaders were offered a chance to give constructive criticism to the five year Business Plan which has taken off the ground with renewed energy .
`I attended this workshop because GCNW mission and vision is compelling and if I had a daughter I would have her join the girls empowerment program. Any parent with girls would encourage their daughter to be part of the program `, said Christine Tazarurwa , a PHD holder who has extensively researched on the effects of war on women`s health .Christine is also a mother of two boys
One aspect of the workshop that renewed energy in the participants was the appreciative inquiry where each woman was given a chance to present about themselves in a positive way and for just that day to give thought to the many achievements which they have never given thought to . As each woman stood up to present participants discovered that the room was full of knowledge ,skill and zeal .Although many of the women were in their thirties and forties their great achievements made them appear as if they had lived for more than two hundred years each.
The room was full of talent ,zeal ,passion and the outcomes of the workshop say it all.
Participants were all agreed that the Business Plan was a master piece and the mission and vision of GCNW compelling. Participants said the rebranding of GCNW had to be done urgently and a clear message sent out to all supporters that GCNW is more a proactive and preventative organisation than a reactive one .
`Now the website must be our first priority to carry this message and ensure every girl gets it out there . I think the more time we spent exploring GCNW the better we understood what role we can play to project the right message about the organisation . It is clear to send out messages that clearly show what GCNW does and what it does not as the impression given so far is that GCNW stands for only rape victims and the most important part of its work –GCNW empowerment model is clearly not being properly projected to the wider world and a lot of the great vision and mission of GCNW is not understood and so the outreach with the right message will be priority after this workshop .I am just over impressed with GCNW work ,said Ziyanai an expert in corporate governance with many years in consultancy work with organisations.
Linda Bikinesi said that since GCNW targeted girls 0 to 18, the website should be girl child friendly but with information that interest girls and allow them to actively participate in GCNW programs
Participants also agreed that every girl in UK should be allowed to join as a member of GCNW and that the Girl Child Empowerment Model be understood by all potential area and club coordinators. Each club is taken into a process of empowerment which lasts for a year before official launch of the girls club .The day of the launch brings parents ,teachers and community leaders together and its graduation day and an exciting moment for girls .So every girl will be certified to go out and lead other girls and this is what has given a new breed of young women leaders like Linda and other girls with high flying achievements
` I love spending my whole life attending events where girls celebrate their achievements and this is the opposite of spending resources in correcting a situation like early unplanned pregnancy or forced marriage or even rape that could have been avoided all together .Prevention is better than cure .Today we only did just a scan of what we over ally do as GCNW .But as we multiply we hope for a situation where we roll out specific empowerment programs tailor made for specific groups of girls, said Betty Makoni ,Chief Executive Officer and Founder of GCNW
Mussah Molife urged GCNW to find ways to reach out to churches and see how girls can be mobilised to join GCNW programs .Many girls would like to offer their time to helping other girls especially in Zimbabwe
`The Million Dollar Girl to Girl Campaign should be taken to girls in churches as well .I will do all I can to help link with churches and see how girls can benefit from the empowerment model `,said Mussah
Mussah was particularly touched with so many girls being sexually abused and one contribution she will make is to see what support base can be put in place to assist girls in Zimbabwe . This followed a case study of an eleven year old girl which the participants were concerned about .Betty Makoni was particularly concerned with many cases of rape sent to her as appeals from Zimbabwe showed a trend where rapists were given lenient sentences like in the case of this girl where a rapist was given four strokes for raping an eleven year old girl .It was apparent that because of the 20 cases GCN Zimbabwe receives per day the organisation was failing to cope with only one lawyer covering the whole country .
The volunteers said that a powerful organisation like GCNW must make inroads in major events in UK where their work can be show cased to a wider audience and draw more supporters
`I will find out how GCNW can take part in the Zimbabwe Festival and other activities organised round the country .I will find out how best we can mobilise girls in our communities and bring awareness to parents of all nationalities to support girls in GCNW work `,said Michaela
Pippa shared some information on volunteering in the UK and she highlighted some principles expected of volunteers . Betty Makoni called on volunteers for GCNW to call her anytime should they want support to mobilise girls of which Belinda vowed she will mobilise all the girls she knows in her county
`Girls remain the epicentre of the organisation and they are the ones GCNW targets .We are determined to create a global movement for girls that link every girl in the world .Zimbabwe of course remains one country needing mostly financial resources to support programs and help anchor the model and if we mobilise 3 million girls in Canada ,USA and UK to support we will achieve our target of 3 million dollars and should this be the case the decade will see a new breed of empowered girls walking in the fullness of their potential`, said Betty Makoni
GCNW certainly is poised for greater heights this year .Betty Makoni will meet next with girls at a Roman Catholic school in London and many other girls in schools in Essex to inspire them to join and lead GCNW and be young activists and philanthropists at an early age .Other similar meetings have been organised in USA and Canada and the Million Dollar Girl to Girl Campaign will be launched in September 2010 . A volunteer for Girls Empowerment and Education Fund has started her work with first small grants targeting girls groups in Zimbabwe and Uganda expected to be disbursed by February 2010 to ensure their life saving projects take off the ground as campaigns to mobilise 3 million girls across the world intensify
About the participants
Ziyanai Shiripinda a holder of two Masters degrees in Corporate Governance had worked as a bank manager in Zimbabwe and as part of social responsibility she was building some classroom blocks in her rural home. She said thats he loves herself and takes care of herself because the present must be lived to the full. She went on to say that she has prioritised her health because that is what matters most to her .
Pippa Simpson who is Personal Assistant to Betty Makoni and GCNW office Manager as well as Dove Project Manager shared how her work of helping women and children who have survived domestic violence for the past 25 years has never been a life apart from hers .In the 25 years she has been project manager at Dove project she has not taken her job as described on paper but as a personal contract between her and the women she helps daily .Pippa is an unsung hero in South End on Sea with such extensive knowledge and skill s to protect women and girls at community level .
Michaelle Chirozva has a compelling story of not only being a first born in a family of many who has taken all family responsibility at personal risk .Besides supporting her whole family to be educated ,Michaelle has worked hard to get to a Masters Degree in Public Health and her determination is to see how best GCNW program can be linked to a health program she is working on. Women and girls affected and infected with HIV and AIDS remain her passion and she will do all she can to take such programs to marginalised groups in England .
Mussah Molife`s intelligence ,hard work and self determination as well her determination to contribute to GCNW is something that to be emulated by many Zimbabweans in the diaspora .Not only has she achieved academically but she has trained a thousand and more people across UK on …. `If I can help in anyway ,let me know as I am always ready` ,said Mussah .
Linda Bikinesi has been with Girl Child Network since formation and she is one of the first girls to join GCNW .A recent graduate in social work she said as long as she helps a child to see the value of education she is just too happy .Linda who has scooped several awards at school is one of the few girls at Zengeza 1 High to start GCNW and she continues to fly the flag and achieve even more .
The youngest of the participants was 18 year old Belinda Fumayi who in the shortest time she has lived in England has been elected deputy child MP and has been to meetings in the House of Lords ,met Prime Minister Gordon Brown twice to deliberate on issues affecting children .She had to go for the vote to child MP when it was announced and although she had been in the country for only a few years she had to do it because when one is presented with an opportunity to reach their dreams and aspirations one should look forward and not backward .Belinda remains one of the greatest young women from Zimbabwe who has achieved so much and who has been out advocating for the welfare of children in such a short time but with such great impact .
Betty Makoni is CEO of GCNW and renowned Gender activist and Christine Tazarurwa profile is there for everyone to see
If I were to be asked what’s needed right now, I would say for you and me to keep company and show love and solidarity, to give Tare a touch on her hands and tell her yes we can see how bad it is physically, but we see in you potential and a strong sense of compassion, and we all let you down when it got to this stage. In this state you may be shocked that Tare does everything with hands, legs, eyes, etc. The only part that gives her problems is the part where the tumor is. You all know each time I contacted you I asked for more donations, but now I say give Tare all love and compassion.