Kurandza 2021 Annual Report And 2022 Goals
Together with your support, we positively impacted 205 children in Mozambique who received an education last year.
2021 was a period of growth and change for Kurandza. Our team took the year’s unique set of challenges in stride and our passion shined as we continued to seek ways to maximize our impact. We are so excited about all that we were able to learn and accomplish, even during such unprecedented times. Looking back, the year reminded us just how incredible our mission-driven community is when we come together with a common goal in mind.
In this post, we’ll share our 2021 annual report findings with you, along with our goals for 2022!
2021 impact at a glance:
18 women employed
163+ ID cards were registered
205 children received an education
784 hours of literacy sessions
20,500+ lives indirectly impacted in the community
16,973+ miles of walking to school saved through transportation
45,100+ days of school funded
Here are our 2021 impact highlights
1. 163+ Identification certificates and ID cards were registered
In rural Mozambique, many people don’t know their exact birthday or legal name. For children, this poses dangerous consequences such as vulnerability to child labor, child marriage, and trafficking. 163 girls in our program lacked this documentation, but with your support, now have an official ID card! Having official ID cards will help them continue to study, get a driver’s license, attend college, and gain employment opportunities.
GERTRUDES | age 11, grade 6
Gertrudes is a smart girl who studies hard. She is so happy to be a part of the Kurandza organization. When she grows up, she wants to become a police officer. With this certificate and her ID card, her dream can become a reality!
2. Declining literacy rates improved
Due to the pandemic, the girls lost a lot of learning time the past year and literacy rates dropped as a result. In July, we launched an initiative to help get them back on track. The program:
Assessed and strengthened the girls’ reading and writing abilities
Prepared them to meet (and surpass) the national standards
Emphasized building foundational skills through laser-focused, individualized instruction
3. 20 High school and college students were trained to be mentor leaders
With guidance and seed funding from DeSa Global Leadership, we designed this program as a sustainable way to develop the next generation of women leaders in Mozambique. High schoolers and college interns who showed leadership potential serve as stewards of change for their communities by becoming mentors to the younger girls.
4. Preventing dropouts
During Covid-19, many families were faced with a dilemma: Put food on the table or send their daughter to school. Dropout rates increased across the country. After being out of school for a year, some girls in our program wanted to drop out so we implemented special study and counseling sessions with them and we are thrilled to announce they are all re-enrolling in 2022!
Teen pregnancy rates skyrocketed during the pandemic making it difficult for some girls to continue their studies. With a few young mothers in our program, we support them through home visits, counseling, and moral support. They can also bring their babies to sessions so they don't have to choose between motherhood and an education.
Elisa | Age 14, Grade 9
“I wish I'd studied this year, but the pregnancy and the baby didn't allow me to study. I was very disappointed to stop going to school, there was no way out, but Kurandza as always helped find solutions for me to not be discouraged. Myself and other girls had follow-up sessions while we were not going to school, this helped us quite a lot by staying on track in studies, and making it a point to help us not give up. I want to thank Kurandza for always helping us and finding solutions to our problems, I stopped in 9th Grade and this year I plan to go back to school with a lot of grit.”
5. Annual #IStandForGirls Campaign
For the 5th consecutive year, we raised scholarships for the students in our program through our #IStandForGirls campaign. Despite the difficulties of Covid, our incredible supporters showed up spreading our message far and wide while raising funding for the girls to go back to school for another year. With an education, they will have better employment opportunities, the ability to send their own children to school someday, and the resources to break the generational cycle of poverty.
250 girls sponsored for another school year
232 total campaign donors
56 new sponsors
97 launch team members who helped spread the word
7 lives on Instagram
105+ community advocates
6. Giving Tuesday fundraiser
On Giving Tuesday, we set a goal of raising $10,000 to help fund the first phase of a new learning center in Chivonguene. We received an incredible outpouring of support from our community now having over half of the project funded, and are keeping the donation page open until we reach this goal!
6. We reached a fundraising milestone: $150k raised this year!
As a small, grassroots organization, Kurandza strives for a culture of transparency so our supporters know exactly how their donations are being put to work. 2021 was a big milestone for us because it’s the first year we reached $150k in donations! Every dollar adds up to make a big difference for the girls and women in Mozambique and we’re excited to share the most recent numbers with you!
Here are our top 3 goals for 2022:
BREAK GROUND ON OUR LEARNING CENTER
CULTIVATE AN ALUMNI PROGRAM FOR OUR FIRST KURANDZA GRADUATES
GET TO KNOW OUR COMMUNITY OF PARTNERS BETTER
We are so amazed by the kindness and love our community continues to show the girls in Mozambique. They are the heartbeat of our work and truly help make the world a better place! As we look ahead to 2022, we are so excited to continue fulfilling our mission and driving change through education with you by our side. Thank you for making all of this possible!
Click here to learn more about our girls’ education programs and how you can join the movement!