ONE NIGHT FOR SIZANANI 2026: Event highlights
Our annual event, One Night for Sizanani, was a huge success — thanks to YOU, our amazing community of supporters!
This past Saturday, April 25, we were joined by more than 160 members of the Global Camps Africa community to celebrate our organization's 23 years of impact.
Because of your generosity, we surpassed our fundraising goal and raised more than $250,000 to support our life skills programs in South Africa. Not only will we be able to run three full sessions of Camp Sizanani and continue delivering year-round biweekly Youth Clubs at 9 locations throughout Johannesburg, but we will also be moving forward with our planned expansion into the Western Cape province of South Africa with a new camp this December. Thousands of young lives will be positively impacted in the year to come, made possible by your steadfast support.
Your belief in our mission fuels everything we do. It is what allows us to create safe, empowering spaces where young people can build confidence, develop critical life skills, and envision brighter futures for themselves. So to everyone who attended, donated, sponsored, volunteered, or cheered us on from afar — thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
Here are some highlights from the evening:
PERFORMANCE BY TARATIBU YOUTH ASSOCIATION
Taratibu Youth Association is a performing arts organization dedicated to empowering young people of the African diaspora through cultural expression, education, and community engagement. Blending traditional and contemporary styles, Taratibu uses music, movement, and storytelling to preserve history while inspiring the next generation.
Their performance at One Night for Sizanani was powerful and deeply moving. The fusion of gumboot dance — an art form born in the oppressive conditions of South Africa’s mines as a means of communication among silenced workers — with spoken word reflections on Apartheid created a meaningful connection to the experiences many of our campers face. Taratibu not only captivated the audience, but also reinforced Global Camps Africa’s core message: by empowering young people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to overcome hardship and thrive, we can change the world.
April Benson Volunteer Award: Amy Berman, The Mother Bear Project
Each year, we present this award for extraordinary volunteer service in honor of former Global Camps Africa Board of Directors member, Dr. April Lane Benson, PhD, whose creativity, persistence, enthusiasm, intelligence, and work ethic embodied the true meaning of service.
This year, we had the pleasure of honoring Amy Berman, founder and owner of the Mother Bear Project, a recently-closed nonprofit of knitters and crocheters from around the world that have sent more than 190,000 hand-knit teddy bears to vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa. Amy and her dedicated team have been creating and sending bears to Camp Sizanani for the past 20 years, bringing comfort, joy, and a tangible reminder of love to thousands of our campers.
Amy’s unwavering commitment to serving children perfectly reflects the spirit of this award. Through her compassion and dedication, she has touched countless lives and strengthened the sense of belonging and support that lies at the heart of Global Camps Africa’s mission. Thank you, Amy, for your decades of generosity and partnership — Camp Sizanani won't be the same without your bears!
Sizanani Award: Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan
Sizanani is a Zulu word that means “help each other.” This award celebrates leaders who place the needs of youth above themselves, demonstrating extraordinary dedication to empowering vulnerable children around the world. Previous Sizanani Award winners include Pamela W. Barnes, Dr. Alan Greenberg, Calvin Hill, Lawrence O’Donnell, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Bryan Stevenson.
This year, we were honored to present the Sizanani Award to Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan, a leader whose remarkable career reflects a lifelong commitment to service, diplomacy, and the empowerment of communities across Africa. Ambassador Sullivan retired from the Foreign Service with the rank of Career Minister on December 28, 2025, after over four decades of service to the United States. She held three ambassadorial postings: to the African Union (2024-2025), Ghana (2018-2022), and the Republic of Congo (2013-2017). Ms. Sullivan’s first diplomatic tour of duty was in Cameroon (1986-88). She also served in Ghana as Political Chief (1997-2001), and as the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs (2017-2018).
Ambassador Sullivan’s work has had a lasting and meaningful impact across Africa, advancing opportunity, education, and cross-cultural understanding. Her dedication to uplifting young people and supporting their potential mirrors the very heart of Global Camps Africa’s mission. We are proud to recognize Ambassador Sullivan as a true embodiment of Sizanani, and we are grateful for the example she sets for all of us.
Reflections from Nkosi Jeju, Former Camp Sizanani Participant
Nkosi Jeju, a proud Camp Sizanani alumnus, took the stage and delivered one of the most moving moments of the evening. Born into challenging circumstances, Nkosi learned resilience from a young age, navigating much of his childhood independently while remaining deeply committed to his education. His determination carried him through academic success, scholarships to top schools, and ultimately to studying in the United States, where he continues to excel both in the classroom and as a record-breaking student-athlete.
Nkosi spoke about how his experience at Camp Sizanani helped open doors he once thought were out of reach, including the mentorship that guided him toward pursuing higher education abroad. Nkosi's journey is a powerful reminder of what can happen when young people are given the opportunity, support, and belief they deserve. He exemplifies the ripple effect of investing in youth, transforming not only individual lives, but entire futures.
We are so proud of you, Nkosi, and we can't wait to see what else you accomplish!
Performance by Jesse Clegg
To round out the evening, we were delighted with a live performance by platinum-selling South African singer-songwriter Jesse Clegg, a longtime friend of Global Camps Africa. His music brought a sense of joy and celebration to the room, while also serving as a meaningful connection to the country and communities at the heart of our work. Jesse’s performance was a fitting close to the night: uplifting, unifying, and a reminder of the creativity and potential that exists within every young person we strive to support.
Thank you, Jesse, for coming all this way to perform for us!
Camp Sizanani Immersion Video
In March of this year, GCA Board Member David Gallegos travelled to South Arica to experience our flagship program, Camp Sizanani, for himself. He captured these clips while at camp, where he lived and worked as a full-fledged vochelli (counselor) for the entire session, assisting our staff members with life skills sessions and other activities.
“Through life skills, teamwork, creativity, reflection, and friendship, I saw confidence grow, hope deepen, and new dreams take shape,” writes David about his time at camp. “These young people arrived carrying the weight of their circumstances, but they are leaving with something more powerful: a stronger sense of who they are, what they can become, and the knowledge that they too can overcome.”
David's video was available for viewing at One Night for Sizanani, where guests could put on headphones and be virtually immersed in the energy and impact of Camp Sizanani — and now you can, too! Listen along as our campers reflect on the lessons learned and friendships forged at our most recent session. Through their words, you’ll hear firsthand how the experience of camp shapes their confidence, strengthens their sense of community, and helps them see new possibilities for their future.
Our sincere thanks to David for capturing these moments so authentically, offering a glimpse into what makes Camp Sizanani so impactful. You can read more about David's time in South Africa here.
Western Cape Expansion
As we mentioned, thanks to the success of One Night for Sizanani 2026, we are able to move full-steam ahead with our plan to expand into the Western Cape province of South Africa, launching a whole new camp in December, allowing us to positively impact another 140 vulnerable children and youth with our life skills curriculum.
This expansion would not be possible without the support of the Western Cape provincial government, specifically Minister Jaco Londt, who has served as our point of contact and champion during expansion discussions. In this video, he speaks with Camp Sizanani's Country Director Neo Nkosi about our blossoming partnership and the impact it will have.
The Western Cape session in December will be exclusively for children who are currently living in "Child and Youth Centers," residential facilities that house children who have been removed from their family homes by court order, most often as a result of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. There are more than 43,000 such children in the Western Cape alone, representing a critical need for the province.
We look forward to the opportunity to provide the Camp Sizanani experience to these children, who otherwise wouldn’t have access to the life-skills training, health education, unforgettable fun that they’ll get at camp.