Our vision is to see a world where all orphans and vulnerable children become secure, healthy, connected, and able to care for themselves and their siblings.
We are motivated by the Biblical call for Christians to help one another. ZOE reaches out in love to all vulnerable children and those wishing to partner with them, regardless of their beliefs, so they may experience the love of God with physical, social, psychological, and spiritual healing.
“ZOE offers empowerment model to help orphans in Africa and beyond“
Journalist, Yonat Shimron gives an overview of ZOE’s empowerment model and how it became the mission of the organization.
Read Yonat's articleIn 2004 ZOE launched as a Christian response to the humanitarian crisis of orphans left in the wake of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. The beginning of this ministry was inspired by a 15 year old young woman who felt called by God to care for AIDS orphans Africa. She then shared her experiences with her church and whomever else would listen, inspiring others and leading to the establishment of ZOE.
At first ZOE was a relief mission including feeding programs, medical mission teams and funding for orphans to attend and receive food at local schools. This ministry started in Zimbabwe, and originally the name ZOE was an acronym for Zimbabwe Orphan Endeavor. ZOE is also the Greek word for life, which is what the name now stands for. ZOE later expanded its relief work to include Zambia. Tens of thousands of children were served over the next several years with churches and individuals generously supporting ZOE’s work. In late 2006, an abundance of funding caused ZOE to begin searching for effective missional models in which to invest with children in Africa.
ZOE was introduced to a team of Rwanda social workers through Epiphani Mujawimana. Frustrated by what she saw as a cycle of relief and dependency, she and her team designed a very different way to care for orphans in their community, by assisting them to care for themselves.
With a small budget, the team in Rwanda created an orphan empowerment program with no orphanages, roughly one social worker per 1,000 children, using locally available resources and indigenous staff, and focusing on helping vulnerable children to help themselves. Children were grouped into mutually-supportive peer working groups and given access to the basic training and resources needed to grow their own food, start businesses, enroll siblings in school, attend vocational training, learn about God’s love for them, understand how to stay healthy and prevent disease, learn about child rights, and be connected to a supportive community. The program is three years in length to avoid groups forming long-term dependencies. ZOE initially began funding this empowerment work through the YWCA in Rwanda.
Each year, the ZOE board evaluated the effectiveness of the programs ZOE funded. The relief work in Zimbabwe, and later in Zambia, was, in some cases, helping children survive in situations of extreme poverty, but also created dependencies. The empowerment program in Rwanda was permanently transforming the lives of children in extreme poverty so that they could care for themselves and their siblings in sustainable ways; and this transformation was occurring in just a few short years. It was clear that the empowerment work was more effective and sustainable (in non-emergency situations) than ZOE’s previous relief work. The ZOE board took the decision to gradually cease relief ministries and move all ZOE’s resources behind the empowerment work.
In 2007, Mujawimana was engaged as a consultant through ZOE to bring the model of empowerment to Kenya. Reegan Kaberia was hired as social workers to develop a model for empowerment in Kenya. Over the next several years, Reegan and his team implemented an empowerment program and introduced innovations and additions to the work of empowerment being employed in Rwanda. Mujawimana came to work full-time for ZOE and continued the work of empowerment with orphans and vulnerable children in Rwanda.
From this beginning, ZOE has grown to a current enrollment of over 40,000 orphans and vulnerable children in the three-year empowerment program across seven countries and three continents. When graduates are added to this group the number swells to over 70,000. Each new country program brings further innovations and lessons which are folded into the ZOE empowerment model. It is a living model which God continues to shape and grow.
ZOE is driven by our love for children, and our passion to see them live lives of depth, health, and security. Here are some of our Guiding Principles:
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ZOE taught Maggie about her land inheritance rights and helped her regain ownership of her property. She has learned the power of sharing her blessings and now employs a widow to help farm the land. She also raises pigs, chickens and rabbits. With supplies from ZOE and help from her working group, Maggie constructed a new home. By the end of her second year, she had three businesses: a barbershop, a salon and a grocery stand. This enables her to employ several young people from her community. Her siblings have returned to school and one sister will soon attend university.
