Akili Dada provides scholarships, mentors and leadership training to bright young women scholars from low-income families. Empowering the next generation of Kenyan women leaders, Akili Dada partners their scholars with mentors from a network of Kenyan women leaders in medicine, finance, media and government. After connecting girls with scholarships and a growing network of peers and mentors, Akili Dada's scholars join a leadership training program. The curriculum is designed to help the girls become agents of change in their home communities while achieving academic excellence, self- awareness and a strong sense social responsibility. Spark supports Akili Dada with pro bono services and in-kind donations.
Spark is partnering with Nest to provide the Chuacruz Weaving Cooperative—a community of Mayan artisan weavers—with foot-pedal looms, business training and microbarter loans. This grant partnership will enable the cooperative to create higher quality products appealing to global markets and learn skills to increase their production capacity. In the long term, the cooperative will be able to operate successful enterprises in the international marketplace and become an independent source of income and economic mobility for their families. Spark supports The Chuacruz Weaving Cooperative with a grant and pro bono services.
Women of Zimbabwe Arise: South Africa
Jenni Williams and Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) are at the forefront of the struggle for peace and human rights in Zimbabwe. WOZA is a grassroots movement of over 70,000 Zimbabweans. Formed in 2003, WOZA is a civic movement to: provide women with a united voice; empower leaders to press for solutions to the current political and economic crisis; advocate for issues affecting women and their families. Over 3,000 WOZA members have spent time in police custody and often suffer brutal beatings for peaceful assembly and for raising their voices in defense of their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Spark supports WOZA with pro bono services and in-kind donations.
EPAWA is at the forefront of combating human trafficking in Ghana. They practice a three-prong approach: prevention, prosecution, and protection (survivor aftercare) in combination with regional culturally appropriate practices. Spark is supporting the piloting of the ‘I am Precious’ project, which seeks to create economic opportunity, while providing rehabilitation services to 25 rescued young women. Throughout the 12-month program, young women (ages 14-21) will build a support network, receive group and individual counseling and life skills instruction as well as participate in jewelry-making training and develop a long-term plan to prevent her return to sexual slavery. It will be critical that the participants have a physical safe haven over the duration of the 12-month piolt. Spark is supporting the "I am Precious" project with a grant and pro-bono services.
The Center for Young Women's Development is one of the first non-profits in the United States run and led entirely by young women. From the beginning, they organized the most marginalized young women in San Francisco -
those in the street economy and the juvenile justice system - to design and deliver peer-to-peer education and support. Spark supports their Sisters Rising Program—a life and job skills training program helping participants
to disengage from the street economy and achieve self-determined goals from full employment to college acceptance. Spark's support in grants and pro-bono services enables 17 young women to receive this training.
Frustrated by the scarcity of specialized resources and lack of attention to the growing numbers of young, Southeast Asian women impacted by sexual exploitation - a small group of local service providers and advocates (case managers,
health educators, and social workers) responded by launching Banteay Srei (Bahn-tea-ay Suh-ray). Working with at-risk, young women ages 14-19, Banteay Srei promotes leadership development, cultural awareness and self-empowerment.
Their aim is to create a generation of fierce, independent and self-empowered young Southeast Asian women. Spark supports Banteay Srei with a grant and pro-bono services.
San Francisco is a hub for human trafficking, yet until recently, there were few shelter services for victims. In 2010 with Spark's support, Freedom House - the first shelter for survivors of human trafficking in San Francisco—opened and
is currently serving 28 women in our community. In addition to housing, Freedom House provides life skills, counseling, job training, as well as, legal services. Spark supports this organization with in grants, pro-bono services and in-kind donations.
Sweet Dreams is a student operated small business that has its own line of products: hand-crafted lavender eye pillows, aromatherapy dream pillows, neck pillows, yoga mat bags and zip cases.
12 young female entrepreneurs rotate management responsibilities: finance, marketing/sales, and production. They make decisions cooperatively and profit share according to time spent working.
The project is incubated by Turning Heads, a vocational arts education and entrepreneurship training program for at-risk, young women ages 14-20. Spark is providing Turning Heads with a grant and pro-bono services to support the expansion of Sweet Dreams.
Grantees
Past Grantees
Akili Dada:
Women of Zimbabwe Arise:
