A Tribute and Thank You to Dumisani Moyo

With heavy hearts, the GSGC family announces the death of Dumisani Moyo, the catalyst behind Tikobane Boys and Girls Club in Dete, Zimbabwe. Dumi died Nov. 6 after a short illness. He was 50.

A safari guide by profession, Dumi and GSGC Founder Priscilla Plummer were in an open vehicle in Hwange National Park in late 2019 when dozens of elephants gathered around them. In his soft-spoken way, he reassured her all was fine as the elephants fed and they talked, and the story of Global Sojourns Giving Circle emerged.

“He kept saying, ‘Tell me more, tell me more’,” Priscilla said.

She did, and his response made an impression on her.

“He said, ‘You know, I’ve been involved with a lot of NGOs, but I’ve never heard of one like this’,” Priscilla recalled. “He said, ‘I want to learn more’.”

Dumi showed up that evening and watched a GSGC PowerPoint presentation on Priscilla’s laptop. More conversation ensued. Then she challenged the depth of his interest, suggesting that he go to Victoria Falls and meet with veteran GSGC mentors.

Victoria Falls is a grueling two+-hour drive northwest of Dete. Transportation is scare and time-off was hard to come by. But Dumi made the trip — twice.

His determination, enthusiasm and concern for his community moved Priscilla. “For me, this represents the heart of our umph, the passion behind the work we do,” she said.

The Need

On one trip, Dumi met with two GSGC board members who happened to be in town. On another, he met with Nyika Muyambo, founder of and mentor for Sisonke Boys Club.

“We need this for our community,” Dumi told Nyika.

An isolated town of perhaps 3,000 people on the border of Hwange National Park, Dete has limited employment, education and shopping options. Protecting crops from wildlife, providing food for families and minimizing human-animal conflict were priorities, not education.

Boys and girls would finish school at grade 10 or 11, with no clear future. Many supported themselves however they could. Prostitution, early pregnancies, alcohol, drugs and poaching took their toll.

Dumi recognized the impact GSGC’s ground-up, mentorship-based model could have on his community and the frequent human-animal conflicts that arise living next to Zimbabwe’s largest and most diverse national park.

“How could we ever be expected to care about the wildlife if we don’t feel our own lives matter,” he told Priscilla.

Community Buy-in

Back in Dete, Dumi shared what he’d learned with his like-minded friend, Ndlelende Ncube, with whom he established Tikobane Trust in 2016 in an effort to change the local mindset around wildlife poaching.

Only days later, in January 2020, Dumi invited Priscilla and the four Victoria Falls club mentors to Dete. Embracing the GSGC tenet of securing the community’s buy-in to support a club, he had assembled key people to hear their presentation. They applauded the GSGC model, and organizing wheels turned quickly.

Eager to get started even though GSGC had just awarded its annual grants, Tikobane Boys and Girls Club opened two weeks later, filled to capacity. Dumi and Ndlelende would mentor boys. Sidunyisiwe Moyo (no relation) and Thembelihle Dhlamini would mentor girls. Months later, given the club’s short but effective track record, GSGC awarded a small grant to Tikobane. In the local Nambya language, the word means “let’s share.”

Let’s Share

And so they did. By April 2021, the club had secured 500 books from a British organization and opened Dete’s first library, where any youth can borrow a volume. The library has since expanded, and it and the club safe space have had to move to larger quarters.

“School children used to hang around beer halls because they had nothing else to do,” said Mentor Thembelihle. “Now, they come to the club. Now they have a space where they feel supported and can focus on their education.”

Today, the mentors guide 55 club members and eight alumni. The girls have impressed nearby university officials. One alum, a boy who came from a wildlife poaching family, is now the youngest ranger in Hwange National Park.

“Dumi’s passion for the community was palpable, and his passion for wildlife and the natural world was the same,” Priscilla said. “He was the bridge between the natural world and the community.”

Although his work often kept him away from Dete, his support and passion were always present. Dumi spent the past year writing a conservation curriculum for Tikobane and other clubs. He was core to efforts regarding conservation awareness and education in GSGC-sponsored clubs.

“He was truly a gentle, humble soul who in his quiet way, had deep and resounding impact,” said Priscilla.

“I’m so, so grateful for what he taught me and brought into my life, and for what he shared with the Giving Circle. He has been so significant,” she said. “He ignited Tikobane, and that is rippling out to touch so many in his community. I lift up Dumi, his life and what he stood for.”

Dumi is survived by his wife, Maria Phiri, six children and three grandchildren.