This kid has a great smile! And, believe it or not, his name is Joyful ? Yes, it really is! Joyful Munyama. He lives in Gweru, Zimbabwe in the southern part of the continent of Africa, and he is one of 10 Yuda Bands students sponsored in Zimbabwe. What? Didn’t know Yuda Bands sponsors kids in Zimbabwe? You’re not alone! For a couple of months, we’ve been getting “officialized”, through the Zimbabwean Ministry of Education so that we can legally get up and running, building scholarship funds for fabulous kids like Joyful.

Education in Zimbabwe– Today, this first group of 10 Zimbabwean youth hit the student selection page.

By January, dozens more will be added to play a roll in helping Education in Zimbabwe. This page yudabands.org/students is where a US school hosting a Yuda Bands Project can learn about kids with big dreams trapped in the poverty cycle because they can’t afford an education.

Yuda Bands’ scholarship & leadership program has helped hundreds of young people in Guatemala graduate from high school and obtain jobs. Now, half a world away, Yuda Bands will put this same proven program to work, changing lives on the continent of Africa.  A survey released September 3, 2015 on education in Zimbabwe states that 75% of families say they are “likely unable to pay school fees“.

Even though Education in Zimbabwe is a government run school system and available to everyone, fees have become too high for most families to afford. Those who are the poorest, are the most affected. Now, funds raised by their peers in the US through the sale of Yuda Bands will help re-open the door to education for these underprivileged youth. Schools hosting Yuda Bands Projects this fall will have the first opportunity to give Zimbabwean youth like Joyful a fair shot at reaching dreams.

My only question is– can he smile any bigger?