Welcome to our weekly news roundup! Here we share stories from each of our Villages about our Programs, celebrations, children, and staff. If you’d like to receive these updates via email, please subscribe to our newsletter.
Malawi: Washing Hands!
At VOH Malawi in Kauma at the Hope Academy where our feeding center is, we taught our children that hands can easily spread bacteria. They have learnt it is important to always wash hands thoroughly with soap before eating. They also learnt that washing hands properly is one of the most important things to do to help prevent and control the spread of many illnesses.
Karen, Kondwani, and Sam are among the children who now love washing hands before eating their porridge!
Latest Blog: Following up with Samson
Burundi: Christian Life Ministry
Christian Life Ministry is one of the local ministries that from time to time blesses VOH Burundi.
Recently we received 75 boxes, each one containing 8 bags of dried food. We were able to share the food with the parents and guardians of our children so they can enjoy healthy meals at home!
The joy is apparent on their faces because they are so thankful they will be feeding their children with nutrient-rich food, which will help the children stay healthy.
We are grateful to our friends at CLM for their generous support of the children and families in our care!
Kitwe: Welcome, Hewletts!
VOH Kitwe was happy to welcome the Hewlett family — Chris, Krista, Steve, and Jonathan — to the Village last week!
The main task the Hewletts will be helping us with is entering all the VOH Kitwe children into our upgraded database. The process includes meeting each child one-on-one to review the information we have on file and then entering the information into our computer system. The process also includes taking a picture of each child.
The Hewlett’s sons will be playing sports and other activities with the children and lending a hand around the Village as needed.
We are also very happy that Aunty Nancy, the Director of Development for VOH Africa, came to greet the Hewletts and give them an orientation on the database project and spent the week with us helping in many ways!
Mongu: Bonding through Save a Life!
At the VOH Mongu Save A Life Feeding Centre, we are able to treat extremely malnourished children in our community and empower and teach their caregivers how to take proper care of the children.
We do this by admitting each child onto a 6-month program and giving them clothes, blankets, food, hygiene items (such as soap and laundry detergent), and food for their first week. Each week after that, the caregiver brings their child back to the Centre where they are given food for another week and the caregivers attend a devotion and a health/wellness training.
At the Centre each week, we also greatly encourage interaction between caregivers and their children so they can get the right stimulation and so the bond between them will continue to grow. We love seeing these bonds forming more and more through their time on the program!
Mwanza: Learning to Give Back
At VOH Mwanza we like to find ways to give our children opportunities to serve. We want them to learn from an early age that it is important to take time to show appreciation by helping others. Learning to be thankful and helpful is a part of preparing them for the future so when they are adults they will be contributing members of the society.
One of the areas our children and youth are actively serving is at the VOH church. Taking part in the church services give them an opportunity to give back to their community while discovering and growing their skills and giftings!
Zimbabwe: Day of the African Child
“Keep the Promise to Children” was the theme of this year’s day of the African Child. At VOH Zimbabwe we celebrated the day with song, dance, poems, and dramas to affirm the message that we need to keep the promise to take care of children’s basic needs like education, shelter, and healthcare.
The celebrations were funded by a local organization called AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF). We have worked together with them many times over the years. We continue to ensure that our children have a Hope for their future.
It is very important to assure the children that their future is safe and that VOH is committed to preparing the ground for them to have a bright future!