In 2009, Spark provided the seed funding to open Amai
House. Amai House is a South African shelter which provides housing, food,
counseling and skills training to Zimbabwean women refugees in Cape Town who
suffered rape and torture in connection with the 2008 Zimbabwean elections.
Without this organization, these 6 residents and their 5 children would be
living with HIV without the necessary treatment to confront the physical and
psychological damage the torture wrought. Amai House is helping to rebuild the
future of Zimbabwe, one woman at a time.
Spark is committed to supporting these women by helping Amai House grow into
self-sustaining organization. You can join our effort by making a tax deductible donation now through Spark
(please specify "on behalf of Amai House"). For just $25, you can help feed a woman for a week, $50
would provide medicine for a child, $100 will help pay for counseling, and
$1,000 will cover Amai House's rent for a month.
The Center for Young Women's Development San Francisco
At 15, Marlene Sanchez came to CYWD in San Francisco looking for employment and a way out of the juvenile justice system. 15 years later Marlene is CYWD's Executive Director and she is spearheading an effort to change the way that public officials think about and treat girls in the juvenile justice system.
Young women, particularly young women of color, are the fastest growing population in the juvenile justice system. These young women are disproportionately poor and over 75% have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse in their young lives.
CYWD will train these young women to speak to public officials to advocate for gender-responsive programming in the juvenile justice system. Spark's grant will allow 100 young women to receive this training. CYWD is creating change in a system by those who have been in the system.
How can you help?
Spark's grant to CYWD has been selected as a featured project on GlobalGiving.org. If you are interested in supporting this project directly, please click here to see the campaign.
If you are interested in volunteering at CYWD, please contact Shannon@SparkSF.org.
CYWD also needs donated items: diapers, infant/children's clothing, educational toys, working personal computers, business clothing, as well as school, arts and crafts supplies. Please visit their website, www.cywd.org, to see a complete list of their needs.
Grant Strategy
Grantees
Amai House:
The Center for Young Women's Development