Educate Local Leaders for Community Development

GRACE Cares GlobalGiving Report: Educate Local Leaders for Community Development - #59931

Educating and Empowering Local Leaders Around the World

From Kenya’s coast to the mountains of Guatemala, GRACE Cares partners have continued to strengthen their communities through education, creativity, and leadership. This past half-year has been defined by growth: in food security, women’s entrepreneurship, youth engagement, and health education. Thanks to your support, these local leaders are turning knowledge into action and building systems that last.

Kenya: Food Security, Women’s Enterprise, and Clean Water

In Kilifi County, Kenya, the Watha Project, led by Jefferson Guyo is expanding its reach and impact. On three acres of farmland, the women’s cooperative has harvested maize and tomatoes, with sukuma wiki (collard greens) and spinach close behind. These crops are directly feeding families while generating small but steady income to reinvest in seeds, fertilizer, and tools.

The group has also launched a beekeeping initiative with ten hives. Seven are already active, and the community expects its first honey harvest in the next three to four months. Two bottles of honey from each hive will be kept locally to promote the project, while the rest will be sold to a committed buyer already identified, creating a sustainable revenue stream for the women involved.

In September, GRACE Cares connected the Watha Project with Aqua Clara and CAWST to expand impact through water and hygiene education. Together, they are planning a WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) program that will train up to thirty participants from Watha’s team and the broader community. The training will combine safe-water practices, social behavior change strategies, and pre- and post-training assessments to measure community impact.

Zambia: Youth Voices for Climate and Gender Justice

In Zambia, the Youth Cultural Promotion Association (YOCUPA) continues to prove that art can be a catalyst for social transformation. Their original play, House of Glass; House of War, reached more than 5,000 people through live performances and online streaming. Written and performed by youth, the play tackles gender-based violence, environmental degradation, and peacebuilding, blending performance with community discussion.

The debut drew over 1,000 in-person attendees: 300 at the dress rehearsal, 125 at the premiere, and over 500 virtual viewers, and sparked press coverage across Lusaka. Following its success, YOCUPA was invited by Zambia’s Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Arts to perform at the Kwimbo National Arts Festival, bringing their message to a national audience and positioning youth as active change-makers in their communities.

Dominican Republic: Building Health Leaders in Baitoa

In the Dominican Republic, Project Hearts launched its twelfth Community Health Leadership cohort. Eight participants, including two men, are completing a ten-session training that covers reproductive health, nutrition, disease prevention, and leadership development. Each trainee will mentor additional households, expanding their reach.

The program continues to fill critical knowledge gaps in local healthcare. One participant shared that despite working at a pharmacy, she had never received clear education on menstrual health until joining the course. By equipping these leaders with accurate information and teaching tools, Project Hearts is building a more informed and resilient community.

Guatemala: Women’s Cooperatives Leading Change

In rural Guatemala, the GuateBuena Association has been strengthening women’s cooperatives focused on both income generation and emotional wellness. Sixty women recently participated in a Menstrual Health and Emotional Wellness Workshop, creating a safe space to discuss reproductive health, self-care, and mental wellbeing.

Through the Ixoqi Project, the cooperative’s artisan hat-making initiative continues to grow. Revenue from these handmade products recently enabled members to purchase a shared meeting house, which now serves as a space for workshops, financial training, and collective planning. This is a milestone for the group—a tangible symbol of independence and shared ownership.

Investing in Local Leadership Professional Development

In September, two GRACE Cares partners, Jefferson Guyo (Watha Project) and Dr. Beck Banda (YOCUPA), completed Emotional CPR (eCPR) training in Nairobi. The course emphasized deep listening, empathy, and emotional support, giving both leaders practical tools to strengthen communication and trust within their teams. This kind of professional development ensures that community leaders are not only managing programs, but also mentoring others to sustain them long after initial support ends.

Closing Remarks

Across all GRACE Cares projects, the results are clear and measurable. Since 2024, your contributions have helped reach over 5,500 people across five countries through clean water initiatives, youth education, health training, and women’s entrepreneurship programs.

Behind each number is a story: a woman harvesting her first crop, a youth actor advocating for peace, a health leader teaching neighbors about disease prevention. These are not isolated projects; they are part of a growing network of community-led initiatives that are redefining what grassroots development looks like.

As we approach Giving Tuesday, we invite you to stay connected, share our stories, and continue supporting the local leaders who are shaping stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities every day.

Thank you for being part of the GRACE Cares family.

GRACE Cares

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Thanks to your continued support, GRACE Cares has made meaningful strides in building the skills, confidence, and leadership capacity of grassroots changemakers across Latin America and Africa.

From March through June 2025, we worked alongside our partners to support training and professional development activities that are already making a tangible impact:

• Over 45 women in the Dominican Republic participated in leadership development and community health training through our partner Project Hearts, focusing on maternal health, nutrition, and WASH.
  
  
• In Kenya, our partner Watha Project led capacity-building sessions with five community health volunteers who now lead safe water and hygiene education initiatives across six villages.
  
  
• In Zambia, our partner, YOCUPA, hosted workshops that trained over 25 youth peer educators on how to use theater for child abuse prevention messaging, a creative community-centered intervention gaining national attention.
  
  
• In Guatemala, our partner the GuateBuena Association was able to purchase a brick and mortar office space, and conducted financial literacy workshops for families in remote villages, reaching over 150 participants. Many participants of the workshop were first-time entrepreneurs or parents budgeting for school fees.
  
  

These efforts represent new knowledge, stronger local systems, and empowered individuals who are transforming their own communities from within.

As we move into the next quarter, your support will allow us to keep investing in culturally relevant tools, strategic training, and long-term mentorship ensuring these leaders continue to grow and make change that lasts.

Thank you again for believing in locally-led development and leadership.

Warmly,
The GRACE Cares Team

Links:

• GRACE Cares Website