PROGRAMMING: ESSENTIAL TO THE GSGC MISSION

GSGC programming is designed to develop “the whole person”. GSGC Mentors focus on individuals with the goal of helping them to thrive today and into the future.

The relationship between a Mentor and a young girl or boy is a process. From the beginning, Mentors live out GSGC’s overarching mantra, “I see you. I hear you. I believe in you.” They do this through their words and actions, slowly moving along a continuum that begins with club members’ self-awareness, transforms into a belief in self and proceeds to realizing their full potential both as individuals and as functioning members of society. Mentors believe that with confidence, self-esteem and education, GSGC youth can be free to pursue any path they may choose.

A quick rundown of programming goals reveals their breadth and depth: life skills, behavioral development, character building, communication skills, psycho-social skills, and finally, exposure to future possibilities.

All GSGC’s 53 Youth Clubs approach programming using a variety of activities. These include discussions, informal lectures, readings, exercises, public speaking, debates and more. Creative expressions such as dance, theater and art and employment-based skills like carpentry, sewing, gardening or baking are also used.

Here are some specific examples of how GSGC programming is implemented:

Life Skills

Procedure Chikosi and Mercy Sibanda’s Girls Time Club (urban Zimbabwe) emphasizes life skills. In Procedure’s words, “We understand life skills as any skills needed for youth to make the most of their lives. Our goals revolve around developing confident, self-dependent, innovative and informed girls who are in control of their own destiny. We use different activities to achieve this. We focus on communication skills and self-awareness. We encourage problem-solving and decision-making through discussions and activities. For example, we put our girls into groups and invite them to come up with ideas on a task that requires both creative and critical thinking.

Leadership skills are also strengthened as we constantly share examples of how to lead and also help the girls to discover their own leadership abilities. Our work on life skills includes debates, discussions, poetry, public speaking, reading clubs, one-on-one mentorship, and invited guests who provide information on specific topics such as conservation.”

Behavioral Development

Nyika Muyambo and Prosper Siphambili’s Sisonke Trust Boys Club (rural Zimbabwe) recently asked its members what makes a man a man. What transpired is a testament to the club’s successful work on changing both attitudes and behavior. In Prosper’s words, “Young men in our community have to piece together their notions of manhood from friends, brothers, celebrities and their parents. As a result, these influences can create confusion and conflicting visions about what it is to be a man. One of Sisonke’s goals is to support gender equity and girl empowerment. To do this, we engage our boys and educate them about these topics. This leads to an understanding of how and why gender equity and girl empowerment are tools for breaking the cycle of poverty.

It was a pleasure to sit down with the boys and discuss the meaning of manhood. The majority of the new boys defined manhood as being macho, having multiple relationships, not helping with chores, and being in charge (calling the shots). If a man is seen doing household chores, he’s accused of “not being a man;” this is interpreted by most men as a powerful rebuke. In our Sisonke group discussion, however, we came to the conclusion that true manhood means taking responsibility for our actions, decisions, values and beliefs. A true man also respects women and girls for the betterment of society as a whole.”

Psychosocial Skills

In general, Gloria Mubita and Racheal Musonda Ng’andu’s Believe Club (urban Zambia) incorporates a variety of approaches to achieving programming goals. These depend on the topic under consideration. They include group discussions, presentations, role play, videos and invited guests. Believe Club tackles psychosocial skills specifically by focusing on the mindset of their youth. They incorporate activities related to self-awareness, time management, financial management, and critical thinking. Where possible, they try to expose club members to viable income-earning activities such as carpentry and tailoring/sewing. They emphasize strong communication skills, as they understand how important it is for members to be able to interact with all types of people in the community, and when necessary, to stand up for their personal rights.

Exposure to Possibilities

This means having one’s world opened up to as many career paths as possible. In GSGC, there have been notable examples of youth developing a vision for themselves and then taking steps to realize it.

• A club alumna decided she wants to be a tourist guide in Victoria Falls. This dream took root when she was taken to the city for the first time and given a tour of the falls.

• A young man met a traveler from the West who explained how he had helped his wife after the birth of his daughter. One thing he mentioned was changing diapers. The young club member was awestruck by this. He said that he would model his own parenting after that of the traveler and share responsibility for child-rearing with his future wife.

• Girls from one rural club were invited to a safari camp where women employed there explained its workings and their roles in it. Their testimonials were powerful and aroused the interest of a number of the girls.

• Club members in a rural community visited a university campus. One learned that she could one day study engineering. But when she was told what subjects this would require, she realized her school didn’t offer them. She approached the school’s headmaster about this. He listened and assured her that the required math and science subjects would be available in future.

Character Building

In general, Mentors agree that a strong character is a composed of humility, self-discipline, accountability, flexibility, responsibility, overcoming fears, living out one’s principles and values, and more. Mentors themselves work to model these qualities. They also discuss them in their clubs to help their youth understand the value of character and how it is developed.

Communication Skills

To strengthen these, Mentors emphasize and practice developing strong listening skills, turn-taking in conversations, conveying ideas and information clearly, recognizing nonverbal cues, and communicating effectively with different persons in different situations.

GSGC’s proven program model continues to positively impact the 1000+ youth in its Mentor Network. By helping young people build self-confidence, avoid teen pregnancy, become the first-in-family to acquire a secondary school diploma or trade, create income-generating businesses, develop environmental awareness, and respect girls and women, GSGC Mentors empower youth not only to create lives defined by dignity and opportunity, but also to reduce generational poverty within their families and their communities.