Global Grassroots Sunset

Dear Friends,

We’re writing today to share important news about Global Grassroots. Your support has been deeply impactful and it is with this in mind that we want to update you. Our mission has always been to trust that those at the grassroots level know what is best for their communities so, in 2020, we began our transition from a US-led organization to an East Africa-based one. We’ve decided that it’s now time to sunset Global Grassroots’ international operations to ensure local leadership has the opportunity to emerge and thrive. We are inspired by the commitment of our local staff to carry on Global Grassroots’ legacy through new, independent, and collaborative initiatives. 

Global Grassroots’ founder, Gretchen Ki Steidle, has a few words to share with you:

In January of 2004, nearly 20 years ago, I sat in the two-room home of a woman named Zolecka Ntuli, in a township outside of Cape Town, South Africa. I was there to learn about the impact of HIV/AIDS, the associated sexual violence crisis, and the work of social entrepreneurs addressing the disease. I was naively convinced that all we needed was more corporate investment to spread the best ideas. Until I met Zolecka.

Fueled by hope, passion, and sheer grit, Zolecka was working fearlessly to combat sexual assault and slow the spread of HIV within her community. Despite stigma and taboo, without dedicated resources, and with little formal education, she successfully mobilized her community into a collaborative force for action. I knew in that moment that there were women everywhere - local experts within their own communities - eager to initiate change, but with the least access to the opportunities and resources to advance their own ideas. I decided to found Global Grassroots to serve as a partner to these amazing change agents reweaving the fabric of society after crisis.

As an integrative breathwork practitioner and meditation student, I also knew that we could not go about this work without an investment in our own capacity for mindful leadership. Personal transformation and mind-body trauma healing soon played an essential role in our social venture incubator for the wellbeing and leadership capacity of grassroots women and girls. We further integrated mindfulness as a design tool, threading it across all the ways we collectively explored solutions to solve local social issues.

Looking forward twenty years later, I could not have imagined how far we would come, nor how much we might learn. We now stand at a new juncture. Four years ago, we started planning for the international NGO, based in the US, to downsize and honor our work led by and embedded in our communities of African women.  In the next two months, we will be finalizing that transition as we sunset the international NGO’s operations in Rwanda and Uganda. Our staff, most of whom are certified practitioners of Conscious Social Change, are considering a multitude of avenues to carry on the legacy of this work in new forms. The more than 1600 women and young women who have moved through our programs continue to operate organizations of their own or serve as leaders influenced by our unique, inner-driven approach. There are ripples that will continue to expand outwards and new seeds that will begin to sprout.

In the next two months, we will have more to share and to celebrate as we complete our current programs and report back on our impact in stories and data. But today I want to honor our staff, the heart and soul of our work. We call ourselves a family at Global Grassroots. Our staff are the most devoted team of people I have ever known and had the honor of working with. They live and breathe our philosophy, caring for each other’s wellbeing and the wellbeing of the organization during times of uncertainty. When there have been community members in need, they have spent countless hours serving as supportive coaches, intermediaries, and substitute family members. They have made voluntary, personal sacrifices.  It is entirely due to their dedication and embodiment of our values that we have accomplished what we now celebrate. 

While there is some sadness I feel as founder, closing this chapter of our work as an international NGO, I also feel deep pride and inspiration for what may emerge next. Conscious Social Change is a design philosophy that is inner-driven. We do not just promote one thing rigidly and work to keep ourselves in business endlessly. We listen. We learn about change from the inside out. We adapt and adjust in conscious response to what is needed around us. Conscious Social Change is an approach that brings curiosity and mindful intention to understand and address systems at the roots, honoring the wisdom of local and lived experience through collaboration and shared ownership.

I am listening more deeply now.  It is time to allow for what is most needed locally, guided by the experience of this extraordinary family. And to trust that the seeds of our collective wisdom will thrive and flourish under the next generation of leadership and care. Thank you to all who have made this possible. 

With reverence and gratitude

Gretchen Ki Steidle, Founder

We feel incredibly proud of the work that we have done and the women and young women who have benefited from our programs. Because of your support, Global Grassroots has trained more than 1,600 women and young women, helped more than 103,000 people access clean, safe water, and impacted nearly a quarter of a million people through social change programs since we hosted our first training program in Rwanda in 2006. They can sustain their own nonprofit ventures independent of Global Grassroots, so their critical social change work will continue for years to come. 

On this note, our dynamic East Africa team have a few thoughts to share with you as well:

Communities in Rwanda and Uganda are grateful for the community water projects and grants for young girls you have inspiringly supported. Your efforts have significantly impacted the lives of many people, especially those living in underprivileged areas.

The community water projects have provided clean and safe drinking water to those previously deprived of this basic necessity, improving their health and overall quality of life. Grants for young girls have also been instrumental in empowering them and providing opportunities to pursue their dreams for their communities.

We appreciate the fantastic effort you've put into encouraging mindfulness, which has assisted people in reducing stress and improving mental health, allowing them to discover inner peace. 

Our Conscious Social Change approach comprises three vital components: mind-body trauma healing work; mindfulness-based leadership and personal transformation practices; and social entrepreneurship skills. It helps our participants shift from negative attitudes or behaviors to positive ones, promoting a culture of healthy relationships, systematic problem-solving, active listening, and trauma healing. We are pleased to note that all those who have collaborated with Global Grassroots have gained valuable skills that can be utilized in their daily lives. Your efforts have contributed to the growing body of mindfulness research, revealing its effectiveness in enhancing physical health, cognitive function, and emotional regulation.

The Umurage Seed Growth organization, which we as members of Global Grassroots’ core Rwandan staff are developing now, will soon carry on the Global Grassroots legacy with a mission of empowering individuals and communities through self-discovery, personal growth, and positive action. Your vision and dedication to these causes are genuinely inspiring, and we hope your efforts will continue to impact society positively.

Thank you for everything you do.

Atosha Genevieve Iranyuze , Esperanze Ineza, Thacienne Nyiraneza, Alain Placide Nsabimana, Francis Kumaketch, Rose Kansiime, Gyslaine Uwitonze

As we go through this transition, we humbly invite your feedback about our mission, our work, and our relationship with you. Your input will help us improve, regardless of what form our next iteration takes. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback at connect@globalgrassroots.org.

Finally, we are excitedly planning an event to take place September 26, 2023 to celebrate all of the Global Grassroots teams and young women, and the collective achievements of the international NGO. It will be soon after the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring Equinox in the South, a fitting time for reflections, balance and transition. We invite you to please save the date and join us! More details to follow in the coming weeks.

All of us at Global Grassroots extend our deepest thanks and profound gratitude to you for being part of our remarkable journey. We couldn’t have done it without you.

With gratitude, 

The Global Grassroots Team