{"id":17,"date":"2017-04-17T17:22:27","date_gmt":"2017-04-17T17:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zoe:8888\/about\/our-story\/"},"modified":"2023-12-01T20:49:16","modified_gmt":"2023-12-02T01:49:16","slug":"our-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/\/our-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"17\" class=\"elementor elementor-17\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62bfbe98 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"62bfbe98\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-618fb0d3 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"618fb0d3\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d074c23 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3d074c23\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.23.0 - 05-08-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Our Story<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b181866 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2b181866\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-203a025d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"203a025d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-14f8fc3c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"14f8fc3c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">We empower orphaned children and youth-led, vulnerable families to overcome poverty, move beyond charity, and experience meaningful lives. <\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-522dcd2b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"522dcd2b\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-316eea9f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"316eea9f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.23.0 - 05-08-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through a global network of local organizations, Zoe Empowers provides a scalable and sustainable framework in which vulnerable youth-led families are equipped to become safe and healthy, skilled for long-term success, and supported within their community to overcome the orphan crisis.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6b1108b2 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"6b1108b2\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-770c451a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"770c451a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-505480f4 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"505480f4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-57ab63ce e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"57ab63ce\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53d5701f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"53d5701f\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e750fd6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e750fd6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Our history<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26b1a164 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"26b1a164\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zoe Empowers<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> began in 2004, as a response to the HIV\/AIDS pandemic in Zimbabwe.\u00a0 Initially, our work consisted of feeding programs, medical services, and other relief activities for vulnerable children through schools and churches.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2007, Zoe was introduced to a radically new way of empowering orphaned kids and youth-led families to become self-sufficient.\u00a0 This approach was designed by Epiphanie Mujawimana with a group of Rwandan social workers responding to the 800,000 orphaned children created over 100 days during the 1994 genocide. Epiphanie and her colleagues had grown frustrated with the endless cycles of relief and dependency upon that financial support. Instead of asking \u201cwhat can we do to serve children?\u201d\u00a0 Epiphanie and her team asked, \u201cWhat would these young people need in order to help themselves?\u201d\u00a0 And with that question in mind, they designed a three-year, community-based, indigenous-led empowerment program, where the participants take the lead in their own journey out of poverty and provide their basic needs themselves. And it worked beyond belief!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing the effectiveness of Epiphanie\u2019s program, Zoe transitioned out of relief work, and supported Epiphanie in bringing this approach to Kenya in addition to Rwanda, and then to Zimbabwe.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 2007, Zoe Empowers has translated the empowerment model across cultures and contexts, impacting over 214,953 vulnerable children, across 11 countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Liberia, Tanzania, Mozambique, India, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia. Each program within the Zoe network is locally owned and operated, with support from a nimble U.S.-based team. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32145293 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"32145293\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4daf1858 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4daf1858\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a36d3e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5a36d3e\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-30221b37 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"30221b37\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The Zoe Empowers model is distinctive and effective because of its focus on self-sufficiency to serve children to have stronger families.<\/strong> The goal is to not do anything for program participants that they could otherwise do for themselves. Our approach has proven that orphans have the necessary gifts and abilities to overcome extreme poverty; they lack only opportunity and support. Once on the path toward self-sufficiency, every child becomes increasingly independent, quickly moving beyond the need for charity, both in the present and future.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63ef124e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"63ef124e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a513672 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"a513672\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42f3009c elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"42f3009c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The future is empowerment. <\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1bcdf390 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1bcdf390\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zoe Empowers is leading the growing movement toward participant-centric empowerment solutions. We are actively growing Zoe\u2019s network and are excited to share this approach with other organizations who serve children looking for proven, sustainable solutions to an ongoing orphan humanitarian crisis.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62e67fb6 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"62e67fb6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our Story We empower orphaned children and youth-led,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"yst_prominent_words":[142,1740,2377,1948,169,171,644,126,1633],"class_list":["post-17","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":217449,"href":"https:\/\/\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17\/revisions\/217449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=17"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}