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.
Save the Date for Evenings of Hope 2018!
We are excited to announce the dates and locations of Evenings of Hope 2018!
We are looking forward to a great time together with testimonies from Fatuma, who lived in the first children’s home at VOH Kitwe, Mwaka (currently living at VOH Chongwe), Shaline Mwenya (Director of VOH Chongwe), and Everlyn Chitente (Director of VOH Kitwe).
The evenings will take place:
- October 13th in Vancouver, BC at Broadway Church
- October 20th in Langley, BC at Christian Life Assembly
- (cancelled) October 26th in Sidney, BC (due to unforeseen circumstances, we’ve had to cancel the event in Sidney)
- November 3rd in Ottawa, ON at Ottawa Bethel
- November 10th in Mississauga, ON at PORTICO Community Church
- November 16th in Newmarket, ON at Cedarview Community Church
Get Tickets
Mark your calendars now for an Evening close to you! Tickets are now available via Eventbrite.
Latest Blog: Celebrating The Day of the African Child!
Burundi: Executive Director Visits
This week VOH Burundi was privileged to host Uncle Sergio Bersaglio, the VOH Africa Executive Director.
We had many different meetings during the week we were together. We also held training workshops with all those involved in the VOH Burundi children’s lives.
The children were very excited to meet with Uncle Sergio and to hear him share about God’s love for them. They learned that God is a father to the fatherless who loves us, cares for us, and provides for us as a parent does for their child.
Chongwe: Harvest Time!
It’s harvest time again for us at VOH Chongwe, and we are thrilled with the results of our latest crops!
We love knowing that our children are acquiring valuable knowledge and we are just as proud of them as they are of themselves.
Through the greenhouse, we have a huge harvest of healthy cabbages. Both the kids and the gardeners are happy to see the continued success of their labour and knowledge in farming. They are now able to sell the cabbages and other green vegetables to the staff and the community so we can invest the funds back in the project and help the Village homes with their groceries!
Kitwe: Visit from Family Members
From time to time at VOH Kitwe we organize a day when family members can visit the children who now live in our Children’s homes here at the Village. We do this so the relatives can continue building a positive relationship with the child. This is typically a grandmother or aunt who wants to stay in touch but is not able to provide full care. The goal is for the child to get to know the family members and vice versa so that when children grow up and leave the Village, they don’t feel lost or alone.
Last week was one of these events. The relatives had a chance to offer thanks to the housemothers and leaders of VOH, and the children were able to show their relatives that they are being raised well.
The day ended with a fun time of interacting together and a tour through the homes where children live!
Malawi: Chapel Service!
At VOH Malawi, children from the Village and from the community come together every Friday afternoon for our chapel service. There is a lot of singing, dancing, and listening to exciting Bible stories. Chapel in Kauma has helped children understand the Bible.
It’s very exciting to see children line up happy and ready to enter the service!
Mongu: Preparing for Exams
We love the dedication and hard work of our students at VOH Mongu! While most of the school is out on a one month holiday, the Grade 7 and Grade 9 students are still in class doing extra lessons and studying to prepare for their upcoming government exams.
The teachers are also extremely dedicated and are coming in on their holiday to help and teach them. We know these students are not only preparing to do well on their exams but are also learning valuable skills and responsibilities that will help them in the future.
They have big things ahead of them and we can’t wait to see what their futures hold!
Mwanza: Friends Visit from Toronto
VOH Mwanza recently received a visit from Terri and Jeanie from Toronto, Canada.
They brought donations of medical supplies, which will be very useful when the clinic starts operating. Even before the clinic opens, we can use many of the supplies now as we provide basic health care for our children. They also brought textbooks and other resources that can be used for teaching the kids.
On top of that, they helped the teachers in the pre-school classes and organized clothes in our storage.
They are very lovely ladies, and VOH Mwanza was indeed blessed by their visit and hard work!
Zimbabwe: National Exams
With national exams fast-approaching, at VOH Zimbabwe we are taking advantage of the school break to prepare. During the break, our hard-working teachers come in to help our students with the studies. We all appreciate their commitment.
During this time, our younger students are following the older student’s lead, and are taking the initiative to come in during the break to learn and do some extra work so when school starts, they are well-prepared and ready to continue with the school’s curriculum.
We are so grateful to our teachers who are committed to helping the children achieve good results in school to enhance their opportunities for the future!