In 2017, a young girl walked into the Girls Time Club, quiet, observant, and unsure of her voice. She wasn’t broken, but she lacked the confidence to express herself and stand up when it mattered most. That girl was Thubalenkosi Sibanda. “Before I joined the club, I wasn’t really shy, but I was not confident enough to speak up nor express myself.” She carried so much potential within her, yet she didn’t know how to bring it out. That reality became painfully clear one day whe

A Gap Between Potential and Opportunity The Global Sojourns Giving Circle Scholarships Programme began as a vision brought to reality in 2023, at a moment when we were seeing girls from our clubs complete high school but face an uncertain…

A Seed That Needed More “We watch Grey’s Anatomy!” That was the response I received the first time I met with four young women from Believe Club in Livingstone, Zambia when I asked: “How did you decide you wanted to…

Shattered Childhood, Endless Hunger Maliki was just a young girl when her life was torn apart. In Grade 7, her father—the family’s sole breadwinner—passed away suddenly, leaving her mother to care for Maliki and her siblings alone. Their small home…

When Hope Whispers in the Dark The sun rose the same way each morning in Victoria Falls, but inside Lizzybirth’s small, crowded home, the weight of life never lifted. Her parents worked themselves to exhaustion just to keep food on…

A Spark Ignited In the heart of Tabayengwe Village, where hope often feels distant, 19-yearold Ayanda Ndlovu’s story shines as a symbol of courage and perseverance. Raised by her grandmother, Ayanda grew up knowing what it meant to struggle —...

Charity Chipopola was the girl who stayed in her room, invisible to the world, quiet even among friends. “I used to ask myself, ‘What will we even talk about at the girls club?’” she recalls. Growing up in Livingstone, Zambia,…

Growing Up in Mkhosana At just 23, Ratidzai has already defied immense odds to achieve what once felt impossible. Born and raised in Mkhosana, a small community in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, her childhood was far removed from the images of…

In the heart of Livingstone, Zambia, a determined and hardworking young woman named Chazipa has emerged as a beacon of inspiration. Born into a family facing financial challenges and burdened by traditional gender expectations, Chazipa defied the odds. As a…

At Global Sojourns Giving Circle we believe in the transformative power of education and mentorship. So, we're thrilled to share this story from Project Luangwa, where 20 of the Girls and Boys Clubs we support are run, as they embarked on their...

At Global Sojourns Giving Circle, we believe that education is key to empowering girls and building stronger communities. Academic achievement plays a crucial role in unlocking opportunities, fostering leadership and addressing societal challenges. In line with our commitment to support...

Laws required the two-bedroom shack where Pinky Ncube grew up in Cape Town’s Mandela Park township to be a temporary structure. Blacks weren’t allowed to build brick homes there, and fires in the crowded, warren-like neighborhood were common. But Pinky,...

By Pamela Nyoni and Thubalenkosi Sibanda, Girls Time Club, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Pamela Nyoni Thubalenkosi Sibanda Burning aspirations, goal setting, interaction and gatherings are what gave life meaning. Ruefully, the vicious and unwelcome stranger, who they call COVID-19, shuttered everything....

The first birth the Believe Club alumnae attended as nursing students, they admitted, was a bit scary. But the second time, their professionalism took over. “You feel a great responsibility put on your shoulders,” said Elizabeth Lubinda, 19, (above, right)....

“I am living proof of what Believe Club teaches.” At age 20, Katanekwa Mukelabai, or Kat as she is known to her friends, is something of a girls club veteran. She was one of the first students selected to be...

Feeling confident and supported by the lessons they learned and the network they wove at Believe Club, these four alumnae are raising a new voice in Zambian society. Each of these young women wants to be a doctor, and seven...

The 230-mile journey earlier this month from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to Lusaka, Zambia, where I was to catch a plane to see the Giving Circle clubs in Mfuwe, took seven hours. It was hot, and tiring. But the fruits of...