From Program Member to Program Facilitator

Manley is no stranger to grief and hardship. After losing his mother in 2006 and then his father in 2008, he went to live with his aunt and uncle. Manley’s aunt used brutal ways of parenting: shouting, beating, corporal punishment, and food deprivation. She depleted him of the little confidence he had left. But still, […]

10 Reasons Zoe Empowers is Unlike Other Children’s Charities

Zoe Empowers started as a relief-based organization with short-term, marginal results. In the early 2000s, the AIDS pandemic devastated communities in sub-saharan Africa, leaving hundreds of thousands of orphaned children in its wake. Globally, there was a push to donate to Africa, support orphan charities, sponsor an orphan, and fundraise for an orphanage. Zoe Empowers […]

Josephat’s Bridge to Success

Josephat always felt like his ambition never aligned with his life circumstances.  He loved to be in school, but his parents could not afford the fees. There were often gaps in his enrollment, dropping out to work for several weeks or months at a time. Then, inevitably, through sheer will and determination, he would scrape […]

Shifting gender norms through education in rural Kenya

Lidiah was born with a love for education. As a young girl, sitting inside a small, one-roomed classroom, learning new subjects and socializing with her peers was her favorite pastime, and it showed in the high marks she received from her teachers. She didn’t know it then, but she was one of the lucky ones, […]

Zoe Empowerment Group Member Becomes Malawi Staff Intern

“I want to remind them [orphans in her community] to not see themselves as down. They should see themselves as high, that they can do whatever they want. Since I have suffered and changed, I want to encourage others to do the same.” ‒ Suki Makalani, 2015 graduate (Malawi) As a young child in rural […]

The Multiplying Effect of Investing in Empowerment

“Before Zoe, I prayed to God, asking him to help me complete school. I made a promise to God that when I got a job I would help other children. When I was hired by the government, I made good on that promise.” ‒ Madeline, 2014 Graduate in Rwanda Even before she knew about the […]

Fridah Turned Her Dream Into Reality

Fridah's dream chart in her hair salon

“When I look at my dream chart and think about when I first made it to now, it gives me a lot of happiness, a lot of peace and a lot of hope. It helps me remember that if I’m working hard, I can go really far.” ‒ Fridah, 2nd year Zoe Empowers member (Kenya) Social media […]

Silent No More: Dorcas Finds Her Voice Through Forgiveness

Dorcas with her brothers

Impressive changes have manifested since Dorcas learned her child rights through ZOE. In the community, Dorcas has become well-known for speaking out about child rights, serving as paralegal outside of her grain shop business. She can be found standing in forums teaching others, especially young females, about their rights.

Mighty Moses: Life After ZOE

ZOE graduate from Kenya

Having the opportunity and capacity to learn at our leisure is a luxury and privilege we don’t think twice about it, when in reality, hundreds of millions of children living in poverty around the world are either dreaming about being able to attend school or lack the understanding that a better life is possible through education.

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

What a time it would be if, instead of idolizing those with big muscles, fancy cars and expensive homes, we admired those who had the exact opposite. What if we looked up to people like Gentil, a young Rwandan boy whom you’ve never met but likely won’t forget.