Picture a circle of young Togolese women. They are gathered for the Thrive/Wunders training. Yvonne, the Thrive Kenya leader conducting the training, said, “OK, pretend you are a teacher … and ‘you,’ you are an Auntie from church. Bella, pretend you are the nurse.” She assigned each person a role in the community circle they had formed.

Yvonne asked one participant to stand in the middle and told the others around the circle to hold hands, making a chain. She explained that each member of the circle represented part of the social safety system for the young woman in the middle, mentioning how each played a vital role in protecting this young woman from vulnerability. Yvonne then instructed the young woman in the middle to try to “break through the safety net.” Because they had created such a strong chain, the young woman couldn’t break out. Even when she tried to run harder at the “safety net,” the other young women worked together to keep her safe in the center.

This fun illustration reminds us of the immense power and potential of community.

Wunders works hand in hand with our partners to help keep girls in school. Each of us plays a role in helping protect those most vulnerable. We work with Thrive Kenya and Thrive Togo. The local leaders of these Set Free Movement teams train students and distribute kits. Wunders primarily distributes and connects with students through our partner, International Child Care Ministries. These organizations are connected through the Free Methodist World Missions network. Together, we are creating a similar “social safety net” for girls around the world.

The outstanding connectivity of the Free Methodist partnerships and our shared impact is so powerful. We praise God for how Wunders can connect and better serve girls and women through these partnerships.

Learn more about Wunders at wunderspartners.com.