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Introducing Skateistan: GIFT’s Newest Partner Organisation

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We’re excited to announce that Skateistan, an award-winning NGO known for its unique blend of skateboarding and education, has become the seventh partner in the GIFT portfolio. This partnership is a key step in our mission to create positive change.

Skateistan: More Than Just Skateboarding

Skateistan stands out for its commitment to using skateboarding as a tool for empowerment, focusing on safe learning environments for young people. Skateistan’s dedication to creating safe spaces, especially for the large number of girl participants, aligns seamlessly with our values at GIFT. Their expansive reach, impacting 4,500 students across 20 locations weekly, demonstrates the effectiveness of their approach.

What GIFT loves about Skateistan

Firstly, Skateistan excels in governance, operations, and strategic planning. Their approach is marked by innovation, remarkable flexibility, and an ability to adapt to changing environments.

Skateistan prioritizes sustainability and scalability in its strategy. They’ve recently adopted ‘Skateistan in a Box,’ a model that uses existing structures for program rollout. Their commitment to expanding their reach and multiplying their impact is evident through the Goodpush Alliance. This Skateistan-led initiative supports and shares expertise with social skateboarding projects globally, offering training and funding.

Lastly, the effectiveness of Skateistan’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team cannot be overstated. This team is integral to the ongoing enhancement and success of their programs, ensuring that Skateistan continues to make a meaningful and lasting impact.

Future Collaborations

Looking ahead to 2024, we aim to explore synergies between Skateistan and other GIFT partners like SNSC and The Lotus Flower. Our goal is to leverage these partnerships for greater collaborative impact.

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GIFT is excited to onboard World Bicycle Relief – the 6th organisation in its portfolio

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GIFT is thrilled to welcome World Bicycle Relief (WBR) to its portfolio, recognizing the organization’s profound impact and commitment to empowering individuals and communities through the transformative power of bicycles. WBR has effectively addressed the enduring transportation challenges faced by over 1 billion people worldwide, with a particular focus on the 450 million individuals residing in Africa. By leveraging its 100% owned social enterprise, Buffalo Cycles, WBR has distributed over 700,000 bicycles since 2005, empowering 3.4 million people and establishing 72 Buffalo shops, while also training 3,000 local mechanics. WBR is present in 5 countries via its Mobilized Communities concpet: Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia & Columbia and recently launched Uganda in 2023. The Mobilized Communities model prioritizes supporting women and girls, aiming for 70% of distributions to that demographic because global evidence shows better access to healthcare, education, and incomes for women and girls benefit entire families and communities. WBR’s ambitious target is to distribute 1,000,000 bicycles by 2025.

WBR distinguishes itself as a professionally managed organization with strong governance, a keen emphasis on innovation and measurable impact, and a commitment to implementing programs that are driven by and for the local communities they serve. The integration of a social enterprise model enables the creation of a sustainable ecosystem around these communities, making long-lasting change possible while providing essential funding each year. WBR’s collaborative approach extends to partnerships with various organizations, both local and international, as well as government entities, magnifying their overall impact. Notably, WBR is also working alongside CAMFED, another organization in GIFT’s portfolio. Additionally, WBR actively advocates for addressing transportation challenges, effectively placing these critical issues at the forefront of discussions and driving broader awareness.

Due to all the aforementioned reasons and many more, we take great pride in supporting World Bicycle Relief.

GIFT’s fifth commitment goes to Tanzanian Children’s Fund

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We are very proud to support Tanzanian Children’s Fund (TCF). This NGO is committed to get a community of 10,000 out of generational poverty. It has designed a holistic, multi-pronged, and unique approach that addresses all pieces of the poverty puzzle.

We love TCF’s community-led solution. It evolves around four pillars:

  • a home for children
  • education
  • health 
  • economic opportunities

By addressing all sides of poverty, TCF recognises the complexity of one’s life.

It is a privilege to welcome TCF in our portfolio of high social impact organisations. 

 

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GIFT’s fourth commitment goes to Surfers Not Street Children

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GIFT is proud to announce its fourth commitment to Surfers Not Street Children (SNSC).

Surfers Not Street Children is a world renowned organisation that empowers street children and children at risk in South Africa and Mozambique.

The Surfers Not Street Children model fuses surfing, mentorship and care. The Organisation has dedicated local teams that include social workers, carers, lifeguards, surf coaches and administrators. Many children empowered by Surfers Not Street Children have transformed their lives. Some have gone from ‘street children’ to becoming coffee baristas, lifesavers, surf shop staff, restauranteurs, surf coaches and even pro surfers.

 

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GIFT’s third commitment goes to the Lotus Flower

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GIFT is thrilled to support The Lotus Flower. The Lotus Flower provide women and girls impacted by conflict and displacement with the tools and opportunities they need to rebuild their lives. It was founded in 2016 by Taban Soresh, a child survivor of conflict in Irak, who was rescued with her family in 1980 by Amnesty International.

Taban has incredible energy and values and understands how to help these women and girls. The Lotus Flower operates four centres in the region of Kurdistan where it provides community-led programmes that enable women and girls to heal, learn and grow. To date, the Lotus Flower has impacted over 44,684 women and girls. Their programmes focus on three pillars matching the UN SDGs: Peacebuilding & Human Rights; Health & Safety; Education & Livelihoods.

We have been very impressed by the Lotus Flower and its capacity to impact women and girls through well designed and need-led programmes. It is a pleasure to welcome them in our portfolio. In addition to our financial support, Sophie is helping the Lotus Flower to raise additional funds. A fundraising event will be organised on June 22 in London. More information to come.

 

GIFT’s second commitment to Edulution

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Give It Forward Trust is thrilled to support Edulution (https://www.edulution.org) over a three year period.

Edulution is a social entreprise providing a digital platform to primary school children in rural subsaharan Africa. It uses a unique mix of technology, enterprising coaches and evidence-based analytics to effectively deliver catch-up courses to marginalised children.

We visited the organisation in Durban (see GIFT’s post on Edulution site)  and were very impressed with the team and the social impact this organisation has. 

It is a privilege to support such high caliber organisation.

 

GIFT’s first commitment to CAMFED Tanzania

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GIFT is thrilled to announce its first disbursement in favor of CAMFED Tanzania to support a tailor-made project, co-funded with another fund hosted by Swiss Philanthropy Foundation. The five-year project will enable 430 marginalised girls in rural Tanzania to access and attend secondary education thereby increasing their potential for a better life.

It is at the secondary school level that the transformative potential of continued education is greatest. Yet girls are the first to drop out: 75% enter primary school, but only 8% finish secondary school. Research shows that educated girls earn up to 25% more per year spent in secondary school, reinvest 90% in their families and are three times less likely to be HIV positive. They marry later, have smaller, healthier families, invest in their children’s education, and are better equipped to resist gender-based violence and discrimination (UNICEF 2015).

CAMFED (https://camfed.org) is a pan-African movement revolutionising how girls’ education is delivered. It was founded by Ann Cotton in 1993 and by 2019 it supported over 4.1 million children through a network of partner schools in five countries in Africa: Zimbabwe, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.

Through a gold-standard system of accountability to the young people and communities, CAMFED has created a local model that radically improves girls’ prospects of becoming independent, influential women. Its impact increases exponentially through CAMA, an alumni association of young women educated with CAMFED’s support.

The five-year project, designed by WISE, a philanthropy advisor (http://www.wise.net), and CAMFED is highly relevant, effective and sustainable. It involves existing local structures including community leaders and CAMA, a tight alumni network. Communities learn to tackle issues, manage and monitor projects by themselves.

The Give It Forward magic is ensured through the alumni association. Girls supported by CAMFED join the alumni association where they get further support with income generating activities and where they, in turn, help other girls access secondary education.

GIFT is very excited to support this project. It fully matches our mission of transforming lives one at a time in an effective and sustainable manner.

WHEN YOU EDUCATE A GIRL, EVERYTHING CHANGES

Give It Forward Trust - GIFT