FR
MENU
Letter From Executive Director About Crossroads Impact Numbers IVCO 2022 Return to Mobilization Partner Gathering My Voice, My Health Judge My Ability, Not My Disability A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Knowledge to Bridge the Digital Divide The Chance is Yours A Thousand Thank Yous ONE WORLD Legacy Circle Our Partners Our Volunteers Board and Leadership Our Donors Financial Statement Get Involved
For A Better
Sustainable Future
2022-23 Annual Report
Letter from the Executive Director
Dear Crossroaders,
Every year since 2020 has brought on a new set of challenges. Between recovering from a global pandemic, high levels of inflation and socio-political unrest, it has been a difficult year around the globe. In the Global South, these challenges are only magnified.
Sub-Saharan Africa is facing its greatest economic challenge in years – a challenge marked by the slow recovery from the pandemic, acute food insecurity brought about by climate change, rising energy prices, low investment growth and significant levels of public debt. The situation has increased the vulnerability of the most marginalized citizens, particularly for women and children in the countries where Crossroads operates.
Yet we cannot lose hope. Thanks to donors, volunteers and supporters like you, we are seeing enormous growth at Crossroads and in the projects we support for the well-being and empowerment of women and girls. We are now able to send more volunteers, get more funds to our partners faster and scale promising pilot programs.
I had the chance to travel to Senegal during in October 2022 and visit several of our partners. I was able to see firsthand the impact of our donors, the work of our volunteers and the sustainability of our programs. Never have I been so proud; so confident that our capacity strengthening model is working and that we have the right partners to fulfill our vision of ONE world.
This year, we returned to mobilizing Canadian volunteers in the eleven countries where we work in sub-Saharan Africa. Crossroaders are at the heart of our work and support partner organizations in Africa with their expertise in sustainable and innovative ways.
For the first time in our history, we co-hosted an international volunteer conference with hundreds of delegates from around the world. We broke new ground by bringing together partner organizations and staff for a collaborative in-person gathering.
This year also marked our 65th anniversary. Over the course of more than six decades, Crossroads has worked with more than 10,000 volunteers to support the most vulnerable communities in the Global South.
Thanks to you, our actions included improving girls’ knowledge and power on their health and reproductive rights; reducing poverty and hunger by empowering women farmers in marketing their produce; supporting programs that encourage positive masculinity and teach young boys to be Gender Equality Champions.
Thanks to you, the future is brighter.
Your support in the face of all obstacles has been unwavering. We can’t wait to share with you what we’ve been able to accomplish together. Keep reading below!
Heather Shapter,
Executive Director
About Crossroads
Vision
ONE WORLD
where poverty
is eliminated, equality prevails, and the rights of women and girls are fulfilled.
Crossroads is a unique organization with a deep commitment to learning from our partner organizations and the people living the realities we support them to address, mainly women and girls. Their expressed needs determine our program priorities and shape our work. By partnering with organizations with impressive track records in women’s rights and gender equality with their communities, we are able to best understand the changing and real-life needs of marginalized women and girls. Crossroads' holistic gender transformative and sustainable approach to development is based on collaboration with partners and consultation with the women and girls we serve.
Mission
Crossroads International works to overcome poverty and advance gender equality in 11 countries; Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Eswatini, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.
We are creating an equitable and sustainable world by engaging and empowering individuals, organizations and communities through mutual learning, solidarity and collective action.
Areas of Focus
Our holistic gender transformative approach to advancing equality focuses on the following three axes:
Ending gender-based violence
Women’s
leadership
Economic empowerment and resilience to climate change
Together, we’re working for an equitable, joyful world where women and girls can fulfill their vast potential.
Equality
Advancing human rights and fundamental freedoms for all – regardless of social, cultural, political and economic background.
Empowerment
To champion the agency of individuals and communities in pursuing their autonomy and claiming their rights.
Diversity
Promoting equity and inclusion of
Accountability
Honouring our commitments and answering to our stakeholders. Engaging in best practices in program development, planning, measuring impact and owning our results.
Impact Numbers
Thanks to committed partners, volunteers and donors like you, we are making a difference in sub-Saharan Africa. Here are some of the impactful results we’ve achieved together.
We work in
(new this year: Ethiopia and Guinea)
We trained and
(85 women, 63 men)
overseas
were signed with local organizations
We implemented
since 2020
$1,279,670.02
raised to support
Crossroads has been active for
and has engaged over
Our staff will tell you that Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment is at the heart of our work.
Hear from them directly!
Notable examples of volunteer activities include:
- training on institutional communication and advocacy against gender-based violence in Burkina Faso
- capacity building on monitoring and evaluation in Tanzania
- support for gender policy implementation in Senegal
- incorporating gender and youth into programs in Zambia
- organizational development in Ivory Coast
- registration of gender-based violence survivors in Togo
VOLUNTEERS FUEL
OUR WORK
A New Dawn for Volunteering – Crossroads Co-Hosts IVCO 2022
The International Forum for Volunteering in Development (Forum) is the most significant global network of organisations that work with volunteers to achieve sustainable development goals. In October 2022, Crossroads had the honour of co-hosting Forum’s Conference on International Volunteer Cooperation (IVCO) along with the International Bureau for Children’s Rights. This renowned event took place in Saly, Senegal over the course of three days and gathered 135 delegates from around the world, many being leaders in volunteering in development.
Focusing on the theme: A New Dawn for Volunteering for Development, IVCO 2022 was an opportunity for heads of volunteer organisations and delegates from the public, private, academic and NGO sectors around the world to network, discuss the future of volunteering in development, share innovative approaches and build relationships.
Conversations at IVCO 2022 covered a wide range of issues, including COVID-19 as a catalyst for change and the need to innovate continually, decolonizing our practice, diversifying and blending different models of volunteering and doing more to address climate change.
“For the first time in three years, we were together in person, at an important time in the evolution of our work as a sector, emerging from a crisis that tested us and showed us just how innovative and resilient we can be.”– Heather Shapter, Executive Director, Crossroads International
Crossroads was also well-represented, not only as co-hosts but within various workshops, such as a session led by Babacar Samb, Regional Representative in West Africa. In the workshop titled “Re-imagining the future of volunteering in development”, Crossroads’ South-North approach to volunteering was commended for bringing together international and national volunteers and partner organisations to promote the sustainability of local development.
Key takeaways from the conference include the importance of the Global South’s participation in volunteering for development and integrating volunteers more deliberately and effectively across sectors.
Crossroads, as a long-standing member of Forum, is looking forward to participating in future IVCO conferences and continuing to share and learn best practices from leading organizations around the globe.
Return to Mobilization – Resuming International Volunteering for Even More Impactful Collaboration
The year 2022 marked a long-awaited return to Canadian volunteer mobilization. At the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, Crossroads helped its overseas volunteers return safely to Canada. As the pandemic went on, we adapted to continue supporting our local partner organizations through South-South and remote volunteers, as well as Canadian volunteers who were already based in our countries of operation. We were thrilled to return to international mobilization of our Canadian volunteers this year and are calling on even more Canadian citizens to get engaged!
For the first time in three years, and since the start of this Volunteer Cooperation Program, Crossroads has:
- Re-launched our South-North volunteer mandates (partners from Africa traveling to Canada to carry out a mandate to strengthen their capacity through training, study tour, conferences, etc.)
- Engaged more North-South (Canadian) volunteers than ever;
- Prolonged our South-South volunteer program until March 2022, as our partners shared this system was helpful for them.
“Getting involved with Crossroads is an easy way to have an impact and create a better world. As volunteers, we are called to share our knowledge, know-how and perspectives with our African partners, and we also develop new interpersonal and professional skills.”– Alex Chevalier-Caron, Volunteer Mobilization Manager
Our North-South and South-South volunteer cooperation model builds capacity where it is needed and in ways that support long-term change.
We are excited to be able to send volunteers overseas again. Consider a mandate with Crossroads now.
Why Is Volunteering Important? Meet our Gender Equality Champions
Okama Edwin Amos – Monitoring & Evaluation Officer volunteer in Tanzania
Giving back to the community and ensuring women and the vulnerable are empowered is my motivation. Women bear the heaviest burden in the society and have not for a long time been given the platform. My mother has done a lot for my family, from paying school and providing for the family despite her low earnings. We have been able to go to better schools and she remains my greatest motivation to continue working hard and doing my best.
Hear from devoted Crossroader and Poet Laureate, Randell Adjei
Canadian poet, author and community leader Randell Adjei is Ontario's first Poet Laureate. He was also a Crossroads International volunteer in the country where he spent part of his childhood, Ghana.
10,000 volunteers over 65 years – A message from Heather Shapter on International Volunteer Day:
A Record-Breaking Partner Gathering for Crossroads in Senegal
For the first time in this Volunteer Cooperation Program, Crossroads brought together 54 partners from 9 different countries and 24 staff members for a ground-breaking gathering in Senegal.
The Partner Gathering’s theme was Stronger Partnerships for Better Gender Equality.
Organized by Crossroads over the course of three days in February 2022, sessions covered various topics, from our gender equality and human rights based approach, to knowledge-sharing and a deep dive into the Crossroads’ essence and theory of change; empowering women and girls and eradicating gender-based violence. Partners were also trained on grant proposal writing, monitoring and evaluation and reporting.
This unique event was a great occasion for African partners’ representatives to meet each other and network as well as build connections and opportunities for collaboration. Best practices amongst volunteer management were also shared.
Many left the Gathering with a renewed sense of purpose, and a will to continue to integrate volunteers to support their mission and programs for the benefit of women and girls’ communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The volunteer program not only supports us as an organization, or the individuals who work hand in hand with the volunteers, but directly impacts our beneficiaries. It is very sustainable. The knowledge shared stays with us; it is exponential.”– Florah Ndaba, Program Officer at TGNP (Tanzania Gender Networking Program).
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR TRAILBLAZING INITIATIVES
My Voice, My Health – A Project by Young People for Young People
DAMCAM, also known as My Voice My Health, is in its 4th year of implementation. Watch this video for an update on this project to improve Health and Reproductive Sexual Services for youth in Senegal.
BY THE NUMBERS
The project spans over
targeting
people aged 10 to 19
(with 70% girls)
have been created with
Mainly funded by Global Affairs Canada with
We are deeply thanking our Canadian government donor for this support towards young marginalized girls in Senegal
We are immensely grateful to the Slaight Family Foundation for their transformational gift of $1M towards this project. Thank you for your generosity!
In the coming years, we look forward to furthering more relevant SRHR services for marginalized youth (especially girls)
Judge My Ability, Not My Disability – Bridging the Gap Between Inclusivity and Empowerment
In Tanzania, persons with disabilities are among the poorest, most marginalized and socially excluded groups. Above all, women and girls with disabilities are isolated and stigmatized. This issue is exacerbated in rural areas where resources are already limited.
“Judge My Ability, Not My Disability” is an innovative project empowering communities to stand up against gender-based violence and training women with disabilities with the knowledge and skills needed to live independent and successful lives, free of violence.
With the support of Crossroads, local partners NAFGEM (Network Against Female Genital Mutilation) and Tusonge Community Development Organization, have trained women with disabilities (or taking care of people with disabilities) on financial skills to start a savings and loans group which grants them money to start a small business.
The project had two main objectives:
- Creating a culture that values women with disabilities, spreading awareness and reducing stigma, as well as providing gender-based violence training.
- Providing entrepreneurship and economic justice training as well as the creation of VICOBA (Village Community Bank) lending groups so that members can work together to grow their businesses and be independent.
Community Member Stories
-
Agnes Marcellina John
Agnes is a 54-year-old woman who is responsible for taking care of her 4-year-old disabled grandson, recently diagnosed with Albinism.
Before the project, Agnes didn’t know how to take care of her grandson who was very sensitive to the sun due to his condition. Participating in the training allowed her to learn about sunscreen, something she previously knew nothing about. She also participated in the financial training and is a part of a VICOBA (Village Community Bank) group set up by the project. Through the group, she obtained a loan which she used to purchase food for her pigs. The loan has helped her to sustain herself financially and purchase sunscreen for her grandson, a very expensive item.
Agnes also learned to create reusable sanitary pads (another workshop provided by the project), and she is now able to sell them and save up more money.
-
Godfrey John Mushi
Godfrey is a 29 year-old Boda Boda (motorcycle) driver who participated in the project’s workshops on gender-based violence. Before attending the trainings, Godfrey did not know where to file a report when cases of gender-based violence would take place in his community.
After participating in the workshops, he was able to identify a case of gender-based violence that happened in his village and informed other Boda Boda drivers in his group. They collected evidence and took the case to the relevant local government authorities. An investigation was opened with the councillor and village leader leading to the perpetrator being arrested by the police.
Godfrey noticed that the workshops and actions taken by the Boda Boda drivers’ groups have also had a positive impact on the community; they inspired others to speak out against gender-based violence cases that were known but had been previously ignored.
-
Venosa Chrisensi Malia
(VICOBA group chairperson)Venosa is 42 years old and has 3 children. She also cares for her niece who was abandoned by her parents at 9 months.
Since her participation in the project, she was able to acquire a loan of 200,000 shillings (approx. $120 CAD) and purchased 2 pigs and food for the pigs. She continues to feed the pigs and currently works on a farm to repay the loan, with the goal to continue expanding her pig business.
Venosa shares: “I am happy because I received leadership training from the project, and now have the confidence to be a leader of a group of more than 30 people. I want to motivate other women. Anyone can be a leader.”
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
The Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA Uganda) is one of the leading women’s rights organizations in Uganda and the pioneer of legal aid and public legal education in sub-Saharan Africa.
While FIDA Uganda has become a well-known household name for this work, there was a sense that they were so busy doing the work that it became a challenge to show it. FIDA Uganda was facing gaps in their capacity to streamline their brand and activities, improve social media engagement and develop a communications strategy.
Michelle Wandia’s 12-month volunteer mandate as a Communications Advisor with FIDA Uganda brought a hands-on approach to solve the gaps in the organization. Through her mandate, Michelle led the complete overhaul of FIDA Uganda’s social media presence and communications capacity.
She created compelling content through graphic design, photography and videography, storytelling, publications and participated in events and webinars with various members to improve the organization’s visibility. She also worked closely with staff at FIDA Uganda to improve their capacity in technical communications skills and set up templates and tools to ensure the organization’s continued success once her mandate concluded.
“We hosted spaces and webinars to boost engagement and create awareness. This helped augment FIDA’s visibility greatly.”
Knowledge To Bridge The Digital Divide
Since the completion of Michelle’s mandate, the FIDA Uganda team continues to post compelling content and Michelle was happy to boast that the Communications team is doing an amazing job.
Lillian Adriko, the CEO of FIDA Uganda, noted, “We are in a much better place thanks to Michelle…The seed she sewed has been growing due to her trainings and hands-on work in communications. The capacity building shows!”
Through her ‘teach by example’ approach of getting in the ‘trenches’ of communications work, as well as making sure templates, tools, strategies and hard skills were left with the team at FIDA Uganda, Michelle ensured that the success in communications would be sustainable and replicable long after her mandate ended.
The Chance Is Yours – An Innovative Approach To Positive Masculinity
In Eswatini, many obstacles are preventing youth from completing school. While young girls drop out more often than their male counterparts due to early or unplanned pregnancy, they tend to perform better than boys if they can remain in –or return to– school.
Some of the causes behind boys dropping out of school are the socio-cultural biases towards classroom learning, pressure to earn money at an early age and alcohol and substance abuse. Structural patriarchy and the lack of positive male role models perpetuate this mindset as the young boys reach adulthood.
The Chance Is Yours, or “Liftuba Ngelahko” is an innovative project that empowers boys and young men to become responsible and respectful adults. Launched by our partner, Kwakha Indvodza and supported by Crossroads International, the project focuses on positive male youth engagement using the Lisango traditional method, which encourages participation from boys and young men.
Kwakha Indvodza seeks to tackle structural patriarchy and harmful
- Implementing mentorship programs for boys and men;
- Advocacy and lobbying on social issues and legal reform; and
- Research on masculinity issues
Through community-led interventions for men and boys, Kwakha provides unique interactive spaces to nurture healthy, resilient, respectful and responsible boys. They become young men who are allies for gender equality, social justice and well-being.
The project mentors thousands of boys and young men through community chapters, where they learn about gender-based violence, crime prevention, entrepreneurship and male health. Community chapters are places away from both home and school that provide an environment for positive youth development, some of which feature a “Big Brother” program focusing on incarcerated and recently released youth.
Project Stories
-
Dr. Mary Mhazo
Dr Mary Mhazo is volunteering through Crossroads as a Social Science Researcher. Through her mandate, she reviewed and developed tools for data collection, conducted and published research on masculinity issues and supported the creation of a Strategic Plan.
“I am a proud Crossroader at Kwakha Indvodza. As a volunteer working with men and boys, I learnt that 'Men are not hard to reach but they are hardly reached'” (quoted from a speaker at the HIV and Adolescence workshop October 2022, Cape Town, South Africa), where I presented Kwakha Indvodza’s work on The Chance Is Yours. Kwakha is deeply passionate about exploring masculinity issues in order to achieve gender and social justice.
The Chance Is Yours Project has been operating for over 10 years in Eswatini and has resulted in a reduction of harmful gender norms, violence, crime and unemployment. The young men are kept busy with skills development, sports, arts and drama but also clean-up campaigns, charitable work and local advocacy.
So far, Kwakha Indvodza has established 12 community chapters across the country over the past three years, with hopes to expand its presence through Eswatini.
-
Sizolwethu Mbhamali
For many young men in communities around Eswatini, boredom is dangerous. Most young boys of Sizolwethu’s age abuse drugs or alcohol and end up engaging in criminal activities or unplanned sexual activities. Before joining Kwakha, Sizolwethu said he nearly joined the infamous Ezulwini criminal gang for some sense of community belonging.
“It was not easy to make friends who support your character, not easy to meet people who take you seriously. Instead, we face peer pressure to take drugs and alcohol, and insults by friends if you say no”.
In Kwakha’s Ezulwini community chapter, he learned to face peer pressure and open up about health issues and personal problems he did not feel he could share before.
“I want to urge each and every young man out there, who has not yet had the chance, to join Kwakha Indvodza sessions You will never regret the time spent attending the chapter sessions. You will find yourself transformed mentally, spiritually and in life generally.”
RECOGNITION LISTS
A Thousand Thank Yous
What immense gratitude we feel for the people and organizations that fund our activities, who have helped us make a meaningful difference for women and girls even in challenging times. Whether you are one of our generous donors or a corporate partner or sponsor, you inspired hope through your giving. As an organization built on thoughtful partnership, our community of supporters like you, mean the world to us! If we stand for resilience and hope, your ongoing and generous support is what makes that possible.
Join us for the next Charity Challenge trip!
Crossroads extends heartfelt gratitude to Leon and Vonnie Zupan who have been generous supporters since 2018.
Both have deep interests in uplifting the lives of marginalized communities and had the opportunity to participate in a donor trip with Crossroads to Tanzania in 2018, called the Charity Challenge trek. During the trip, they met members of a women’s social and economic empowerment project located near Mt. Kilimanjaro and led by our partner, NAFGEM (Network Against Female Genital Mutilation). Vonnie was particularly moved by stories of lives changed, shared by young women survivors of gender-based violence.
Vonnie and Leon, together with other supporters of the Charity Challenge trek felt they got a better understanding of the work of Crossroads and enjoyed spending time with the project beneficiaries and community members.
This is what Leon had to say about the trip: “It was an unforgettable experience and I felt incredibly proud to be part of the Charity Challenge. We gained a deeper understanding of life in marginalized communities and how development programs support communities. The trip was so worth it.”
To join Crossroads’ next Charity Challenge trip to Senegal in February 2025, visit our website here: Charity Challenge in Senegal - Crossroads International (cintl.org)
