Nov 25, 2018
"Don't give up, remind yourself to continue seeing the positives, and remind others that there is hope." - Jacqueline Villeneuve
What does it take to be the change you want to see in the world?
How can one person change the fate of many and leave a legacy for
others to follow? Well, to accomplishany of these, one must
start with the most basic of human capacities - LOVE.
Jacqueline Villeneuve is the Founder and Director of Operations
at Zawadi la Tumaini Hope
Homes. She has dedicated her life to support,
educate, and empower young African women and orphan children. Her
journey began when she first flew to Kenya as a volunteer
with Free the Childrenwhen she was 15 years old. She was
there with 26 other youth to build a one-classroom schoolhouse.
That trip was all it took for her to realize what she wanted to do in the future. After graduating high school, she then proceeded to work at a coffee shop to earn enough to go back to Africa. She started ZLT at 17and opened the children's home by 19.
She named the children's home 'Zawadi la Tumaini', which translates to 'Gift of Hope.' She wanted to give vulnerable orphan children the hope of a new beginning - a safe haven.
Unlike larger NGOs, ZLT doesn't measure their organization's success by the number of children they support. Their focus lies in providing quality care and education for their children. Jacqueline and her team invest their time and attention to help the children cope and heal from past trauma. They currently have 25 children in their care.
But running a children's home comes with its challenges - from sleepless nights to the overwhelming surge of emotions that comes with raising 20+ children. Jacqueline also always worries that they may not receive sufficient donations and funding to support the children. But she says that what keeps her going is all the good they've done so far.
To help make the home more self-sustaining Jacqueline created an ethical fashion brand called 'Olive & Annie'. The brand was named after 2 of the children at ZLT. Olive & Annie products are 100% made by Kenyan artisans and female designers.
In addition to funding the children's home, their products support campaigns and organizations focused on women's rights, child protection, and ending sexual violence. They've even collaborated with Mpumi Nobivato create the 'Amandla' necklace to support Mpumi's Share Your Story Africacampaign.
Despite Jacqueline and her team's dedication, most of their funding still comes from donations. Please visit ZLTHope.Orgto find out how you can help Jacqueline and her team make a difference in a child's life.
In 2017 Jacqueline also founded 'She Matters' inspired by her own story of being a survivor of sexual violence. The organization provides emotional and legal support and advocacy. They are also developing sensitivity training for health care providers.
IN THIS EPISODE
- How a trip to Kenya when she was 15 years old changed the trajectory of Jacqueline's life
- Why she started Zawadi la Tumaini Hope Home
- How Jacqueline deals with the emotional pressure and stress of running an orphanage
- The greatest challenge that Jacqueline faces with running ZLT
- Why she created the ethical fashion brand 'Olive & Annie'
- What Jacqueline's hope is for the future and for her ZLT family
- Why she founded 'She Matters'
- What Jacqueline's "I am..." is
EPISODE LINKS
Zawadi la Tumaini Children's Home (ZLT)
ZLT Website
ZLT on Facebook
ZLT on Instagram
Olive & Annie
Olive & Annie Website
Olive & Annie on Facebook
Olive & Annie on Instagram
She Matters
She Matters Website
Jacqueline Villeneuve
Jacqueline on Instagram
Jacqueline on LinkedIn
Other resources
Mpumi Nobiva on Episode 012