From our humble beginning serving just 30 youth in Mochudi, to reaching over 28,000 youth and children with our programs throughout Botswana, Stepping Stones International has come a long way! As we kick off our 15th year of impact, we reflect back on all that was made possible with help from our stakeholders, donors and community supporters to unlock youth potential – We could not have done it without you. Over these years, we worked tirelessly for our community, continuing to grow and evolve in response to their needs, which shaped our four core services to:
- Empower Children & Youth
- Nurture Families
- Strengthen Service Providers
- Advocate for Child Protection
And Wow! We achieved some amazing results! 800 youth have graduated from Find the Leader Within, a game changing program generously supported by the FACET Foundation. Youth develop entrepreneurial, career and leadership skills, that boost their confidence and help them discover their career path, leading many graduates to even launch their own businesses. Through our Literacy Research partnership with the University of Utah Reading Clinic, we discovered that many students in Botswana are reading far below their expected reading level, many as low as 3 to 4 levels below. Knowing that literacy has significant implications on academic performance and overall life outcomes, we trained 340 teachers in our evidence-based Breakthrough to English Literacy program. It has since been implemented in 32 schools (and counting) across the country!
At our centre in Mochudi we serve 120 participants per year through our after-school program, where youth receive academic assistance through tutoring, English literacy interventions, and test preparation. Participants also engage in extra-curricular activities and clubs and participate in SSI’s small business incubator program that has launched 5 successful income generating projects! Through generous support from USAID, we have served over 8,000 clients in our Orphaned & Vulnerable Care program, which focuses on increasing HIV prevention as well as treatment adherence for HIV+ participants. We work to ensure all participants have the opportunity to lead healthy and fulfilling lives no matter their status.
Will you celebrate with us?
It’s simple, SPREAD the word! Help us reach more youth in more places by sharing SSI’s stories of impact. You can do this by sharing our social media posts, writing us a review on Great Non-profits or joining our 15 Years of SSI Facebook group, where you can learn about and participate in our year-long celebration.
Looking forward…
Imagine what we could accomplish over the next 15 years!
There are many ways to help us continue our good work, you can:
- Check out how to setup your own SSI fundraiser
- Donate $15 monthly through JustGiving
- Tell your friends & family about SSI and the incredible youth who inspire us everyday
Thank you all for supporting us on this beautiful journey, we are truly grateful. We look forward to another 15 years unlocking even more youth potential in Botswana and beyond!