During the year, we were able to bring together the global Star for Life team in Malmö for the first time. After productive days of workshops and discussions about fundraising, partnerships, communication, leadership, evaluation methods, and pedagogy, we all went home with new tools to make a good organisation even better for the children and young people we support.

Star for Life South Africa

2022 has been an exciting and stimulating year, although we have still been somewhat hampered by the pandemic. After a few years of periodic school closures in southern Africa, it is wonderful that our coaches are now back out at the schools.

We have taken the opportunity to begin extensive efforts to modernise the school programme. In close collaboration with colleagues in South Africa and Namibia, working methods are being evaluated and developed to ensure that we deliver the programme in the most functional and sustainable way. We continue to refine the school programme according to the “social and emotional learning” method. It strengthens students’ self-esteem, their self-leadership skills, and their motivation to do their school work. It also fosters their ability to understand, communicate and build relationships.

The past year has also shown us the true meaning of loyalty. Despite a turbulent and uncertain time in the world, our corporate partners have continued to support us and we have welcomed several new ones. Thanks to their contributions and long-term thinking, we can continue to carry out our mission. We continue to develop feedback to our partners, with videos and reporting from the schools they support. We create meeting places in the form of partner meetings, where we can interact and inform our partners about Star for Life’s ongoing work. Here we can also give our partners the opportunity to network and make new business contacts.

Star for Life Namibia

In Namibia, we have held workshops and classroom activities for thousands of students during the year, with a focus on life skills, career support, and physical and mental health. We have received immense support from our mobile health clinic which, through outreach work, provides students with knowledge about sexual and reproductive health, health/illness, and diet and nutrition.

Through the Daughters of Africa Girls Club, we have worked in 16 schools to help girls improve their self-esteem with the goal of shaping tomorrow’s female leaders and entrepreneurs in a safe environment. At the same time, we also work with boys’ needs with the goal of building a generation that can break down barriers to equality.

We have also initiated an exciting collaboration between the Namibian schools JG van Der Watt and Eldorado High School, and the Swedish schools Grillska Gymnasiet Örebro and Christinaskolan on Lidingö. In 2023 we have also started a project funded by USAID where 14 coaches work to provide support to students at different schools. We also have an ongoing collaboration with UNESCO in Namibia. We are very excited about this collaboration with major global donors.

Star for Life Tanzania

In January, the Star for Life program was introduced in eight schools located on the island of Mafia, belonging to Tanzania. Since then, we have conducted workshops and classroom sessions for more than 1,600 students, covering subjects such as self-development, health, and the right to make one’s own life choices. We have also organized different activities to help students define dreams and work towards them purposefully.

As part of the program, we also offer counselling at the schools. Students can turn to our coaches for support related to everything from domestic violence, school bullying, to vocational guidance. The school can also get support from the coaches in dialogues with students with high absenteeism rates.

We are happy that the program has received positive feedback from teachers, parents, local authorities, and other stakeholders in the region. We are confident that it will improve the living conditions of children on the island, which is crucial for their well-being and that of their families.

Star for Life Jerusalem

In our second year in Jerusalem, we have become one of the leading international organisations on the eastern side of the city. Today, we are perceived as an organisation that works according to a strategic plan and delivers what we promise. As a clear result, we have now grown from four schools and 830 students to ten schools with a total of 2,300 students. Through SFL Job Hub and Sigma Lab, we have also created 520 new jobs for young adults, of which 170 are in the IT sector.

Star for Life Jerusalem has become a major player with more than 30 employees, mostly women, and with an even distribution of Muslim, Jewish, Druze, and Christian Arab employees. Our organisation can therefore demonstrate a new model of cooperation, where we work with all parties, Palestinians and Israelis, as well as international organisations, UN agencies, and diplomatic committees.

starforlifejerusalem.org

Star for Life Ukraine

In the shadow of the war, Star for Life Ukraine has continued its work to promote education, self-esteem, and well-being among young Ukrainians. With over 500 registered for the pilot project ‘Girls in Tech’, we see a great need for technical education among young girls, and we are now planning to scale up the project. At the same time, we continued to offer online training and reached more than 8,000 children during the year, including in frontline areas.

Our commitment to technical education was further deepened with the establishment of Star for Life Labs. In partnership with schools, we offer training on modern computers for future teachers in computer science and for students in development and programming. There are now four laboratories around Ukraine. In addition to this, we have launched a network of companies through SFL Connect to support our business and goals. This platform simultaneously facilitates both collaboration and networking.

However, humanitarian needs remain high, especially for children in the most vulnerable areas. Together with other humanitarian initiatives, we work to ensure that children have access to the supplies and support they need. Our work with the Swedish Embassy in Ukraine, local authorities, and international organisations, has and will continue to play a crucial role in the success of our projects. In conclusion, 2023 was a groundbreaking year for Star for Life Ukraine. Despite obvious challenges, our determination to make a difference in the lives of Ukrainian children remained steadfast.

sflua.org

Motivationslyftet by Star for Life

This year, Motivationslyftet celebrated its 10th anniversary, and now includes 65 schools in Sweden, where students from primary school to upper secondary school can develop through our method. In 2023, we also developed materials for after-school clubs, and we are currently preparing materials for preschools.

During the year, two Swedish schools, Grillska Gymnasiet in Örebro and Christina School on Lidingö, started a collaboration with the Namibian schools JG van Der Watt and Eldorado High School, and we can already see how the students have been enriched by exchanging experiences and perspectives. This will serve as a model for international collaborations between more schools.

Our long-term ambition is to ensure that all students in Sweden receive self-leadership training in school for increased self-confidence and better mental health. To achieve this important goal, we work actively to influence and engage in dialogue with decision-makers and authorities.

motivationslyftet.se