Welcome, Tikobane Boys and Girls Clubs

Thanks to our donors’ support, Dete, a now-quiet, tourism-dependent area in and near Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, has its first Tikobane Boys and Girls Clubs.

Tikobane came to GSGC’s attention late last year when Founder Priscilla Plummer visited Hwange, the country’s largest and most biodiverse national park, and met a local guide named Dumisani Moyo. He’s a member of Tikobane Trust, a community organization seeking to empower and educate people living in and around the park and to find sustainable, local solutions for communities sharing borders with wildlife.

Tikobane Trust team meeting with Sisonke Boys Club Mentor Nyika (l) and Girls Time Mentors Procedure (r) and Mercy (r, rear)

“How can people be expected to care about the wildlife if they don’t feel that their own lives matter,” Dumi wondered.

Of course, he and Priscilla had a lot to talk about.

After hearing about the success of GSGC’s grassroots model, Dumi gathered support in his community to learn more and reached out to GSGC Mentors in Victoria Falls, about 110 miles to the northwest.

In January, several Mentors, Tikobane members and Priscilla met in Dete. Within days, Tikobane had formed a club for 15 boys and a club for 18 girls. Their focus: leadership training through public speaking, debate and story-telling. Their goals: empower girls to stay in school; keep boys from becoming wildlife poachers; improve gender equality. Their desired result: sustainable employment and more opportunities for local, regional and national leadership.

For the past few months, Tikobane Mentors have been guided by GSGC Mentors from Sisonke Boys Club and Girls Time Club, both in Victoria Falls. Once firmly on its feet, Tikobane applied for a GSGC grant. 

Spreading the word, Dumi told a Vancouver, Canada choir group that came through Hwange after the January visit about GSGC — and they decided to support us.

Dumisani Moyo speaking to Tikobane club members

“We all feel very positive about the work you are doing and the thoughtful, informed way you go about it,” said choir member Carol Cohen. “It is a model that I think could offer a lot to our oppressed groups closer to home.”

With the choir’s extra financial boost, we’re excited to announce that GSGC is a full partner with Tikobane Boys and Girls Clubs. They have GSGC funding for the remainder of 2020, and we look forward to receiving their application for a 2021 grant.

“We believe that Tikobane and the children of Dete — and eventually Dete as a whole — will benefit from what we learn being part of the Global Sojourns Giving Circle,” Dumisaid. “We are blessed to benefit from so much experience. Thank you for believing in us.”