OUR APPROACH
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
To achieve its long-term mission of empowering girls and young women across Zimbabwe, The Girls’ Legacy has identified a set of strategic priorities that respond directly to the urgent realities they face today. These strategies outline the key objectives and focus areas most critical to driving meaningful change, from creating safe spaces for dialogue and learning, to equipping girls with life skills, vocational training, and leadership development. Each priority is supported by clear action plans, measurable targets, and time-bound initiatives designed to ensure accountability, scalability, and sustained impact. Together, these strategies form a roadmap for transformation, one that places girls at the centre and mobilizes communities, institutions, and partners to walk alongside them.
- Leadership development: Our training programs foster self-awareness, informed decision-making, and civic engagement, preparing girls to take on influential roles within their communities.
- Trade and life skills training: We offer hands-on learning in areas such as carpentry, bricklaying, digital literacy, and reproductive health—ensuring both market relevance and personal empowerment.
- Career readiness support: Initiatives like resume writing, interview preparation, and exposure to professional environments help girls envision and pursue meaningful career paths.
- Relational transformation: We believe that meaningful growth happens through relationships. Mentorship connects girls with inspiring female role models—entrepreneurs, educators, artisans, and community leaders—who offer guidance and encouragement.
- Emotional and experiential support: Mentors share their lived experiences, provide emotional support, and help girls navigate life’s challenges with clarity and confidence.
- Structured mentorship programs: Our model includes orientation sessions, regular check-ins, and goal-setting activities that promote personal development, accountability, and sustained growth.
- Character and leadership development: This pillar emphasizes self-reflection, emotional intelligence, and values-based leadership, ensuring that girls grow not only in skill but also in character.
- Affirmation and belonging: Through mentorship, girls come to understand that they are not alone—and that their dreams are valid, achievable, and worth pursuing.
- Beyond access; toward agency: We recognize that breaking cycles of poverty requires more than opportunity; it demands capability, control, and confidence.
- Financial literacy for independence: Girls are equipped with essential financial skills, including budgeting, saving, and making informed economic decisions.
- Entrepreneurship training: Our programs introduce business planning, product development, marketing, and cooperative selling—empowering girls to turn ideas into income.
- Pathways to sustainable livelihoods: Whether through vocational trades, creative enterprises, or digital platforms, girls are supported to build income-generating ventures aligned with their passions and strengths.
- Practical support and mentorship: Economic empowerment includes access to startup kits, market linkages, and guidance from experienced women in business.
- Reclaiming futures through financial freedom: By fostering financial independence, we enable girls to contribute meaningfully to their households and communities and to shape their own futures with purpose.
- Systemic empowerment: We believe true transformation requires structural change, not just individual growth.
- Challenging harmful norms: Our advocacy efforts confront gender-based discrimination, promote equality, and protect the rights of girls and young women.
- Policy influence and public awareness: We engage with policymakers to shape legislation, run campaigns to shift societal attitudes, and host community dialogues that foster collective accountability.
- Girl-led advocacy: Our work is grounded in the voices of girls themselves, elevating their stories, concerns, and solutions to national platforms.
- Inclusive community engagement: We collaborate with traditional and religious leaders, schools, and families to build safe, inclusive environments where girls can thrive.
- Structural and cultural transformation: This strategic priority ensures that change is both personal and systemic, creating a society where girls are valued, protected, and empowered to lead.
OUR APPROACH
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
This strategic plan reflects The Girls’ Legacy’s unwavering belief in the power of girls to LEAD, transform, and uplift their communities. It is more than a roadmap, it is a declaration of intent, rooted in lived experience and driven by bold vision. Through education, mentorship, skills training, advocacy, and community engagement, we are building a movement where girls are not only empowered but equipped to shape systems and challenge norms. As we move forward, we invite partners, funders, and allies to walk alongside us. Together, we can create a Zimbabwe where every girl lives with dignity, leads with confidence, and leaves a legacy of change. The journey ahead is ambitious, but with shared commitment, it is entirely possible. Let’s build it, together.
