Like all of my fellow activists I am celebrating that 2011 is here. It is a new year that starts a new decade. I have resolved to have a positive mind and create a space for myself to achieve all my goals. I would not want to talk about challenges more than what opportunities those challenges will create. In 2010 I made a decision to move from local to global as well as to move from a small village in Zimbabwe to a global village. Like all empowered women and girls in 21st century I am empowered to use technology and all social networks to connect and link with more friends and supporters for my work for girls. Though I faced some obstacles to my work in 2010 and had to work ten times more daily to turn those obstacles to strategies of moving my activism forward ,I have bounced back with renewed energy and am rejuvenated to move forward with supporters and friends who trust ,believe and understand that the work I am doing for girls will create a generation of women leaders in the next decade.
Herewith I set out my 2011 resolutions
As leader and Chief Executive Officer of Girl Child Network Worldwide
My resolution is to roll out our five year strategic plan and ensure a Girls Empowerment and Education Fund (GEEF) has a million girls supporting it globally. To achieve this I am going to work closely with girls who have created girls clubs all over the world and in many colleges especially in the US, Canada and UK.I read thousands of appeals from girls in Africa who are in desperate and risky situations and sometimes all they need is a small grant to make them move forward .I have realised that many girls in violent and poverty situations are very creative and innovative but they lack as little as 50 dollars to do something
I started putting a team together to fundraise in UK,USA and Canada for GEEF and am confident if we intensify mobilisation of supporters to the fund this will be achieved. In the shortest time GCNW has been set up a lot of girls have benefitted immensely and what if with a strong team helping out.
Work for, in and with girls will be my focus .As long as I go to work I commit to work for girls and use the best of my ability
My work at GCNW is being appreciated in many parts of the world and every effort will be made to replicate Girl Child Empowerment Model . I will work hard this year to be in Ghana as their request has been pending for too long
I will make a personal attempt to read and understand as well as respond to many appeals for help coming from all over the world and advise ,refer, link and network any emerging girls groups that are so desperate to do something but don’t have anyone to help them
As a speaker
By 11 January 2011 I will be a guest speaker at Martin Luther King Commemorations at Duke University in North Carolina, USA. I am hoping more and more such institutions will invite me to speak so that I mobilise the world for my work. I love speaking and it is through the power of speech that millions of people have come to understand my work for girls. This is how I have become the global advocate for girls. As long as I get a platform even with one person in the audience to speak I will speak my heart out. I will speak on behalf of girls who cannot get such a platform and opportunity
As long as girls are being abused I will speak out and speak up. I will name and shame rapists.
As a girl child rights empowerment coach
Through my personal website I have set up a girl child empowerment course which I believe is unique and the best. Each time a girls empowerment camp is set up and am invited to train girls I will give it my personal touch and ensure the product that comes out of such coaching and empowerment clinics are the new breed of young women the world needs. I will attempt to do one such In 2011
By 2011 I am hoping all materials for girl child empowerment training that I developed over the last 12 years will be professionally documented and shared widely with many other grassroots emerging girls and women`s organisations
As my own writer
I am writing my book and I am nearing finishing line. I am very excited that this piece of writing will bring more truths about my work and life. I am now looking for good publisher and editor and hoping by end of 2011 my life and work will be celebrated at age 40
As supporter of women leaders
I will continue my support for women who aspire to lead. I will render my support to any woman of good standing courage and passion who aspires to be a leader. I will work closely with women leaders who want to create any platforms for women to be projected in a positive way by media. I will always use the case of my own defamation in 2010 to help others
As a networker
In life it is always encouraged to have focus and so one area I will need to do a lot of cleaning on is the number of networks and alliances I work with .I will carefully select those individuals and groups who I feel work to support and promote same interests as me. I have realised that in 2010 I had a lot of excess baggage on my face book which I will work to sift and leave quantity with quality
As a mother, wife, sister, aunt and my own carer
For a long time my work took me away from my families. In the past ten years I worked for girls in Zimbabwe I spend all my life on the streets of Europe and USA moving from place to place fundraising with many donors and doing outreach work. This took me from family life and I understand how my own three sons have suffered. I will balance work, family life and play .My husband and three sons are the most wonderful people in my life and so will give quality time to them. There is no way I can support other children and leave my own alone. We must always lead by example. I will keep looking after my health and keep healthy friendships and relationships. I will not hesitate to keep away from anyone who causes stress on me
As an optimist
I know whatever I have put in black and white here will be achieved .I am someone who works with positive energy. I am someone who believes in working with what works and hard workers.I am someone who feels girls are the foundation of future women leaders and so investing in them will help. I am someone who knows what I am doing is right and so will focus on many positive outcomes from my work. I am someone who is fully aware makes mistakes and believes such mistakes can have important lessons not only for me but those I love and care about. I am someone who sets on a forward path and will move straight take challenges head on.
I am ready for 2011 and 2011 is ready for me, a new year and a new decade
Compliments of the New seasoñ muzvare ! Makuma semombe. Keep up the good work.
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