Once a Crossroader, Always a Crossroader
In August 2018, former Girls Scout Zambia volunteer Sarah Bradshaw undertook Crossroads’ 60th Anniversary Charity Challenge in Tanzania, more than 30 years after her mandate to see firsthand the change the organization continues to make in the region.
The Randy Pepper Legacy Fund: a commitment to volunteer cooperation
Crossroads International is pleased to launch The Randy Pepper Legacy Fund to commemorate former Board member, Crossroader and friend Randy Pepper. As we mark the 5th Anniversary of Randy’s death, we are proud to continue his legacy in volunteer cooperation.
Tausi Msani : Saving Girls from Female Genital Mutilation in Kipunguni, Tanzania
In Tanzania, 7.9 million women have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and 3 million more girls are at risk annually. FGM is still a strong part of the culture and traditions even though this practice has been prohibited in the country since 1998.
A Night to Remember in Vancouver with Crossroader Lawrence Hill
Four-time Crossroader and honorary patron Lawrence Hill recalled meeting midwife Aminata catching babies while he was on placement in Mali in 1989. This chance encounter later would inspire and inform his best selling work Book of Negroes and its protagonist Aminata. Hill was speaking to a sold out crowd of more than 100 Crossroaders and Crossroads supporters.
$65,000 Raised for Girls’ Empowerment in Africa
“Imagine your 14 year old daughter married to a 50 year old man and she is the third or fourth wife in the house. This is the reality of 2 girls out of 5 in Tanzania,” said Rebeca Gyumi speaking to a sold-out crowd of more than 240 people at Crossroads International’s eight annual Day of the Girl breakfast on October 10, 2019.
8th Annual Day of the Girl Breakfast – video
On October 10th, 2019, more than 240 supporters of girls’ rights gathered for Crossroads 8th annual Day of the Girl Breakfast at Arcadian Court in Toronto. From school students to professionals and volunteers, Canadians from all backgrounds sat down to hear from 2018 UN Human Rights Prize recipient Rebeca Gyumi.
Calgary Shows Up in Force To Make A Difference
On October 23, Calgarians showed up in force to learn more about Crossroads International and to hear acclaimed author and four-time Crossroader Lawrence Hill share how his experience as an overseas volunteer shaped his life and his work from The Book of Negroes to The Illegal.
With the Let Girls Be Girls initiative, you can make a difference, you can support girls and show them they are not alone and they can count on all of us.
We Called. You answered – A Marathon You Can Be Proud Of
While we cannot all run like the Kenyan runner Philemon Rono who won this year Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 20th for the 3rd time, we can all feel great. From the Crossroads staff to the supporters who answered to the call to run or walk for women’s rights, to all their supporters we can all be proud!
Girls’ rights around the world are under attack. And sometimes the perpetrator is their own government. Harmful religious and cultural practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation are robbing girls of their future. Poverty increases their vulnerability to sexual abuse and violence.
Did you know you could donate your Air miles?
Are you planning your next trip and you have some air miles to spare? Why not donating them to Crossroads? Collaborating with local and international partners and volunteers in 28 projects, across 8 countries means we often travel for trainings, workshops, mandates or meetings. You can support our work by gifting your air miles so we can keep learning from each other across borders.
Welcome to our New Executive Director: Heather Shapter
Heather brings more than 20 years in non-profit leadership to Crossroads. Her journey in the NGO and private sectors has spanned five continents and included extensive experience in building local community capacity. Her life has been dedicated to ending poverty through women and children’s empowerment. She aims to build on the organization’s success and leap forward with bold and innovative leadership.
Crossroads International to receive $25,000 from the Gay Lea Foundation
We are thrilled to announce new support from the Gay Lea Foundation to assist women farmers build resilience to climate change. The donation will help dig new wells, rehabilitate existing ones, finance new equipment, train women on solar powered pumps. It anticipated that more than 1500 women will benefit from increased income.
Crossroads International was saddened by the news that Corinne “Corky” Lane passed away on April 8. Corinne and her late husband Dr. Alan Lane were instrumental in the founding of Crossroads International in 1958, and their impact can still be felt within the organization and its work today.
On April 28, 2019, Toronto high school students and Crossroads supporters Gigi Noble and Lizzie Schulz, organized the W.O.W brunch in support of the Girls’ Empowerment Program in Africa. The morning featured speakers such as former Crossroader and current Crossroads International Program Officer Tina Mbachu.
In the eastern part of Burkina Faso, 1 in 2 girls between the age of 14 and 17 are married. The “Ti ba fidi” project aims to ensure that girls can be girls, free to attend school, marrying a husband of their own choosing, at an appropriate time.
Projects Enhance Skills and Empower Vulnerable Girls
This year, Crossroads International is proud to be named a partner of 60 million Girls, along with War Child Canada and the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Together we will give children and especially girls life skills and a chance to overcome the barriers blocking their access to a quality education.
‘I became Pierre the Eggplant’: an agronomist at the service of cooperatives in Togo
When Pierre Tchansi embarked on a mandate with La Colombe, he hoped his experience as agronomist would make a difference, but he didn’t anticipate how the experience would impact him.
Boys4Change from Scarborough to Accra
After a successful launch of the Girls’ Empowerment program, WiLDAF sought Crossroads support to pilot a program for boys. That’s where Randell Adjei and Anthony Gebrehiwot two social entrepreneurs from Scarborough came in.
Be The Change
This volunteer week we pay tribute to our volunteers who are making a difference in communities around the globe. In 2018, Crossroads sent 93 volunteers to collaborate with 23 partners. Their work is helping reduce poverty and improve the lives of more than 26,000 people including more than 22,000 women an girls.
Fighting for More Rural Women in Politics in Burkina Faso
In 2018 our partner RESACIFROAT was awarded the Karen Takacs Women’s Leadership Fund grant to improve women’s participation in local governance in the rural areas of four municipalities in Burkina Faso. A year later, see how the situation has evolved.
Drop by Drop: Supporting Rural Senegalese Women Facing Climate Change
This new initiative implemented with our local partner, RESOPP aims at helping strengthen the resilience of 1,500 women farmers by focusing on the accessibility and efficient use of productive water using green technologies.
On International Women’s Day, the question of what women want is at the centre of many conversations around the world. Politicians to marketers to religious leaders seem to have all the answers. We thought we would ask women to tell us themselves.
Canadians are Advancing Gender Equality
Canadians of all backgrounds and walks of life, women and men, newcomers, and citizens with a passion for justice and equality are making an important contribution to Canada’s international development efforts.
Two Extraordinary Crossroaders Appointed at the Order of Canada
We are proud to announce that Crossroaders and Honorary Patrons: international journalist Lyse Doucet and philanthropist Ann Evans McCain are the latest members of the Crossroads family to be appointed to the Order of Canada.
A New Hope for Children’s Access to Justice in Ghana
The first model child-friendly gender-based violence court was inaugurated in Accra, representing a win for Crossroads and our local partner WiLDAF Ghana. We have worked jointly for more than a decade to increase legal literacy and knowledge of women’s rights.
Join Us. Take Action. Stop Gender Based Violence
From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, stand with us, UN women and our partners around the globe for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign!
Crossroads International is a proud signatory to the Canadian Council of International Cooperation (CCIC) Leaders’ Pledge on Preventing and Addressing Sexual Misconduct.
SEEN AND HEARD: An exhibition allowing girls to express themselves through art
Art is a powerful storytelling medium to express ourselves without using words. The ‘Seen And Heard’ exhibit which took place in Accra showcased the photographic, literary and crafted talents of participating schools from The Girls’ Empowerment Program (GEP) in collaboration with WiLDAF Ghana.
Working for gender equality in rural Burkina Faso
As a volunteer strategic planning advisor, I began my first 12-month mandate with the Burkina Faso Coalition for Women’s Rights (CBDF). I support the regional and national actions of this major defender of women’s rights in Burkina Faso.
Day of The Girl Breakfast Raises More Than $60,000 to Empower Girls
More than 230 people gathered on International Day of the Girl to celebrate girls’ empowerment with Crossroads International. Our 7th annual Day of the Girl Breakfast was one of the most successful to date.
Burkinabe Women Growing Economic Autonomy Thanks to New Market Garden
For Félicité Banissi, a 28-year-old mother of 5, who also cares for her brother-in-law’s 3 children, feeding her family was not always easy. But not anymore.
Walking for women’s rights: a mother and son story
When Libby Wildman and her 17-year-old son, Robbie heard about Crossroads 60th anniversary Charity Challenge trek in Tanzania, they researched women’s rights issues affecting the country and decided it would be a good cause to dive into.
Canadian trekkers mark Crossroads 60th anniversary raising $150,000
Trekkers traveled to Tanzania from Alberta, Ontario, California and Switzerland, to mark Crossroads 60th Anniversary raising money and awareness for Crossroads International’s work to advance women’s rights and reduce poverty
Situation in eSwatini
Following the protests in eSwatini (Swaziland), we have been in touch with all our volunteers and partners and they are all safe. We will continue to monitor the situation.
Women in Africa: Creativity + Solidarity + Sisterhood
Crossroader in Senegal, Hélène Pedneault shares about a day spent with Senegalese women that moved her deeply.
Leading by example: the role of men in the global effort for access to justice for women
Crossroader in Ghana, Robert Trudel wrote about his work to advance access to justice for women and encourage men to take an active role in the fight for gender equality.
Putting her experience to work to support women
After spending several years volunteering abroad, Fatou Seck wanted to focus on working with women. She tells us about her volunteering experience in Senegal with our local partner UNFCS.
“You Can Go Back Again”, a Crossroader’s story
When he left Canada in 1986 for a volunteer placement in St. Vincent and the Grenadines with Crossroads International, 21-year-old theatre student Sean Kelly didn’t know he was about to live an experience that would change his career path…
Crossroads’ partner highlights the impact of volunteer cooperation at UN CSW
For more than 10 years, Crossroads’ volunteers and partner WILDAF have been supporting Ghanaian rural women to tackle the many challenges they face – poverty, high incidence of gender-based violence or cruel traditional practices. As part of the UN 62nd Commission on the Status of Women, we shared our work…
Increasing women’s access to justice in Tanzania
Last May, Patricia volunteered with two of her colleagues from the Canadian domestic violence legal system for a justice exchange with Crossroads International and our Tanzanian partner, KWIECO. She tells us about her inspiring experience…
Partnering to change women and girls’ fate in Burkina Faso
Since 2016, Crossroads International’s volunteers and partners are working to change women and girls’ fate in Burkina Faso…
From Crossroader to monthly donor: how a former volunteer keeps making a difference
Jean-Marc Hachey was a Crossroader in Ghana in 1982. This experience shaped his work and life. Throughout the years, Jean-Marc kept supporting Crossroads’ work through monthly donations. He explains why…
Crossroads International celebrates 60 years of change on Parliament Hill
On December 5th, 2017, Parliamentarians as well as Crossroads’ volunteers and partners gathered on International Volunteer Day to celebrate the contributions of Crossroads volunteers…
“I see the world as a smaller place”
Marleigh never dreamed that her convictions about gender equality and social justice will present her the opportunity to stand alongside FLAS colleagues in Swazi Parliament advocating for a legislation to prevent and respond to gender-based violence…
Corporate partnership empowers youth to claim their future
Crossroads’ partner, UNFCS, a women-led network of soap producers, can be a real catalyst for young Senegalese women to drive their economic future and have a real impact on their communities. To support them in reaching their potential and become leaders in their organization, Canadian partner, Papillon MDC, went to Senegal to work with them…
Where ambition meets action: what a feminist international assistance policy can achieve
Crossroads Board member, Susan Green, explains how Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy can help empower women and girls…
Teaming up for women’s empowerment
Crossroader Melanie Anderson shares how she teamed up with the volunteers from Crossroads’ Québec Sans Frontières program in Ghana for women’s empowerment…
“A beautiful experience worth living”: how a Crossroader engaged women and youth in agroecology
Pierre-Marie Nkontchou worked as a volunteer Advisor in Agroecology with Crossroad’s Togolese partner, La Colombe. He explains to us why he decided to volunteer and what he accomplished during his mandate…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
