Support "Kids' Clubs" in Zimbabwe

It's good news Friday, for sure!  We just learned that one of our youth-led grantee partners, Youth for a Child in Christ (YOCIC), has been featured on Global Giving. They now have 17 days, 9 hours and counting to raise $4,000 from at least 50 donors. If they meet the goal, they'll remain on the site and continue to receive funds, expanding their reach quite extensively and you can help! Four young women in the Bulawayo area of Zimbabwe lead YOCIC. They’re known for the “Kids' Clubs” that originated with YOCIC and have now been picked up by others because they make such a difference in children's lives. Hundreds of children come to play, have fun, and learn about HIV and AIDS prevention and care at the Clubs. They attend life-skills camps and become part of an incredible peer community of support.

YOCIC facilitates 26 youth-led Kids' Clubs in Bulawayo, and brings together over 700 vulnerable children for recreation and group counseling. They also help to bridge communication between children and their caregivers to facilitate better communication within families; something that has a significant impact during stressful and difficult times like coping with the loss of a parent or family member.

Firelight partners are small, emerging organizations so it’s really not easy for them to get on the Global Giving website. They have to be savvy at paper work, have consistent access to the internet to update the site and they need a fairly extensive network to meet the fundraising expectations. Since YOCIC is in year six of their seven-year partnership with Firelight, they are working hard to secure other donors and sustain the work when they graduate from our partnership next year.

YOCIC has seen some hard times. They could easily have given up a few years ago, but the young people keep coming back to the program and the staff really believes in the model and that's kept them going. They’ve jumped in and learned a lot about financial management systems and have remained committed and resourceful in tough times. Their participation on the Global Giving site shows their new financial savvy and is a very exciting step.

Show the young people at YOCIC your support and go to the Global Giving website to make a donation today! Then pass it onto your friends. We’re hoping to build a groundswell of support for YOCIC and their work to build a community of support among children in Zimbabwe!

Click here to go to Global Giving now!