THE DRUMBEAT - february 2026
Global Camps Africa equips South Africa’s vulnerable youth with the tools and knowledge to lead healthy, empowered lives and make positive impacts on their communities.
ONE NIGHT FOR SIZANANI 2026
Join us for an unforgettable evening of music, movement, and meaning! Global Camps Africa will be hosting its annual fundraising gala, One Night for Sizanani, on April 25 at the Capital One Hall in Tysons, VA. All proceeds from the event will go toward supporting our life skills programs in South Africa, allowing us to empower even more vulnerable children and youth.
The event will consist of a reception, dinner, live auction, and the presentation of the Sizanani Award to this year's honoree, Ambassador (Ret.) Stephanie S. Sullivan, for her decades of service on the African continent.
There will also be a live performance by South African music stars and friends of GCA Jesse Clegg and Msaki, who are traveling all the way from South Africa to join us.
INTRODUCING OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Welcome, Ruth and Shubhra! We are very excited to welcome two new members to our Board of Directors: Ruth Friedman and Shubhra Sinha.
Ruth Friedman is a lawyer who has spent her career representing men and women on death row. She was most recently the founding director of the Federal Capital Habeas Project, a program that became a national center for policy, strategic advocacy and direct representation in post-conviction proceedings for individuals on federal death row. Ruth previously represented condemned prisoners at the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama and the Southern Center for Human Rights in Georgia. Her work in capital punishment grew from a desire to address the role race and poverty play in the implementation of criminal justice in the U.S. and elsewhere. Ruth has been an avid supporter of GCA since volunteering at Camp Sizanani in 2022.
Shubhra Sinha is a storyteller at heart and a strategist by training. A seasoned marketing leader, she has built global programs for Fortune 500 companies, startups, and mission-driven organizations across the U.S., India, and beyond. Shubhra serves as Chair of the Reston Association IT Committee and has championed youth mentorship and women’s leadership through inclusion and education initiatives at Cisco and the Ashwini Charitable Trust. She loves traveling, mentoring young marketers, and strives to make a lasting difference by helping build a better world.
Welcome to the GCA family, Ruth and Shubhra! We are grateful to have your knowledge and expertise as we continue to strengthen our programs and maximize our impact.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW VOCHELLI-IN-TRAINING
A new VIT joins the team! We are constantly recruiting new vochellis (counselors) to assist with our life skills programs. Oftentimes, our campers are so positively impacted by their experiences at camp and clubs that when they come of age, they become vochellis themselves! The first step to becoming a full-fledged counselor is to serve as a vochelli-in-training, or VIT, assisting with activities and learning the ropes of the Sizanani curriculum.
In this video, our newest VIT is officially introduced to the Youth Club where he has attended as a participant for several years. This is a milestone moment, one that perfectly captures why we do what we do at GCA. Not only does this young man now have greater financial security through his new job, but he is also giving back to his community and equipping more vulnerable youth like him with crucial knowledge and skills. We aren't just changing young lives for the better — we are empowering young people to change lives themselves.
Connect With us on social media
Follow us and stay connected! Through our posts, you'll discover inspiring stories, exciting updates, and meaningful ways to support our life-changing programs. From youth leadership to civic action projects, we're sharing the transformative impact of our work, and we’d love for you to be part of the journey.