The GEMS girls club of Friendship Christian Reformed Church in Byron Center, Mich., is developing a connection with a GEMS club in Kenya, which started when leaders from the two clubs met in August 2023. GEMS—Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior—has 467 discipleship clubs in North America and 22 in Australia and New Zealand, each connected to a local church or Christian organizations.
Joanie Zuiderveen, the treasurer of Friendship CRC’s GEMS Club and a member of the church, met Doreen Riinye, the club coordinator of the first GEMS club in Nairobi, Kenya, at a meet and greet event while she was on a mission trip. Riinye shared how she started a GEMS club after a local cadet group requested one to “get rid of the girls”—the sisters who kept showing up to cadets with the boys. At the time the Kenyan club, which Riinye runs with three other women, had no funds, no supplies, no curriculum, and no lessons. Zuiderveen, who’s been doing GEMS for about 45 years and can remember starting with empty cupboards, assured Riinye that Friendship CRC would help them to get the supplies they needed and cover the cost of a GEMS membership to access online resources. Friendship CRC ran a fundraiser in fall 2023, raising over $3,000 USD, which helped Riinye get supplies and provide food to a family of one of the girls who was facing food insecurity.
By January 2024, the Kenyan club was fully resourced. In February, the Friendship CRC’s third-grade GEMS group created Valentine cards and sent them to the Kenyan GEMS. Though the mail didn’t arrive till May, the girls were thrilled. For many, this was the first piece of mail they had received.
The following February, the Friendship CRC club designated an entire night to the GEMS in Kenya, making about 35 yarn dolls and 35 butterfly hair clips to send as a gift. Each girl also wrote a note. Zuiderveen encouraged the girls to “tell them you love them and God loves them.” They prayed a blessing over their packed box before sending it.
The Nairobi club has about 35 girls between ages 6 and 17, and the Friendship CRC club is about the same size for girls ages 7-14. The Kenyan club is partnered with Riinye’s father’s nonprofit organization BALM African Concern, which provides a secure way to receive funds and support. Friendship CRC plans to continue financially supporting the Kenyan GEMS club while looking for other ways to connect and foster relationships, Zuiderveen said.
Wendy Hammond, executive director for GEMS Girls Clubs, said the organization is learning from the Friendship/Kenya relationship and hopes it’s an area where GEMS can grow.
About the Author
Kristen Parker is a freelance writer. She has a passion for words and creativity. Kristen and her husband Chris, enjoy board games and thrift shopping. They attend Stratford CRC in Stratford, Ont.