Last December, you helped us smash our Big Give Christmas Challenge target, raising an amazing £24,818! Here is a snapshot of what your gifts already made possible in the first half of 2025.
ZIMBABWE
We are incredibly grateful for your kind support, which has enabled 75 girls & women who sell sex to become peer educators & begin their journey towards a healthier & more sustainable future, through workshops & business or vocational training. The year-long program involves workshops to learn about leadership, communication skills, HIV, STIs & gender-based violence. These amazing ladies have already reached 2,113 of their peers with vital sexual health information, & have embarked on new vocational training & income-generating activities, creating alternatives to selling sex so they can provide for themselves & their families.
Grace's story
“I had left my marital home & separated from my husband when I discovered that he was sexually abusing our daughter.
I was not working but wanted to support my children. Although I had plans, I did not see any way of carrying them out.
But Shining Star has given me hope for my future. I started believing that there is a way I can see my dreams coming true. I have learnt that I need to have a plan & follow it through if I want to succeed.
I learnt about the importance of market research before embarking on a business venture, how to budget & do bookkeeping. I believe I can manage my own money well.
I am happy that I now have a business, do not rely on men for money & can now pay my children’s school fees.
I love meeting others who have gone through trauma like me & encouraging them by sharing my story. It’s important so that they can be helped like me. It is also very satisfying to see that I am making a difference in the lives of my friends, & it helps me to heal from the pain I have suffered.
I share the methods of preventing HIV & STIs & where to seek treatment; how to report at the police when going through gender-based violence; & how to successfully negotiate for condom use & safer sex.
I have learnt that I am unique & special, something that I had stopped believing before I came to the project. I have also realised that I like helping other people: it gives me a sense of purpose.
Without this program, I would be dejected & lost. I would probably have returned to the abusive relationship with my husband, out of desperation.”
NIGERIA
Because of your generosity, 587 pregnant Nigerian women received HIV testing & counselling, & were supported in attending antenatal care. These mothers now have the knowledge they need to ensure their babies are born HIV-free — a priceless gift for the next generation.
Through games, discussion & creative activities, 76 clubs have reached 685 girls & 696 boys, giving them tools to build strong self-esteem, form healthy relationships & make wise decisions, while shaping their confidence & resilience so they can grow into adults able to transform their communities.
SOUTH AFRICA SCHOOLS WORK
You have enabled the Beaded Anklet Project to go into 4 schools in underserved Kwa-Zulu Natal communities, reaching 67 girls & 63 boys with regular relationships & sexual health education sessions, training them as peer educators. Sessions covered leadership, bullying, substance abuse, puberty, HIV, healthy & unhealthy relationships, goal setting, values, & self-esteem.
12-year old Thando
“Gender-based violence is something that happens in my community, but nobody wants to report it because they are afraid. Men say they are the head of the home, but they are not good role models.
They control & dominate women. The women are taught to be meek and serve the men.
I joined the Crossroads Peer Education Program & have learnt that to build a good relationship with someone you need to communicate, listen, & be respectful.
I consider myself equal to a girl. In my community, many women are hardworking & take the responsibility as providers in their homes. I really admire my mum & granny because they have shown me that women are strong & deserve just as much respect as a man.
Crossroads tell us that if we, or someone we know, are experiencing abuse, we can talk to them & they will help us report it. As a peer educator, I teach my friends about this & encourage them not to get married while they are still children. Having a baby is a big responsibility - they should wait until they have finished school and have a good job.”
SOUTH AFRICA 1000 BLOCKS PROJECT
All the ladies who were left homeless by horrendous floods in 2023 are now housed - thanks to your amazing support!
The final (twentieth) house will be completed by the time you read this!
The ladies manually made 1000 building blocks for each house themselves with local sand & water, cement, & brick moulds. Then a qualified builder built the homes, which were plastered inside & out, & completed with lockable doors, windows, roofing, gutters & waterproof paint supplied by the project with your help!
“This house has brought me & my family closer together. We now have a safe & comfortable home to live in.” Ntombikanina
“At the age of 62, the 1000 Blocks Project has shown me that, with hard work & determination, anything can be possible!” Ntombincane
“My house is not just a shelter for me but a symbol of hope & a better future.” Nomusa
