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.
This week school was on break and we had fun playing games, attending feeding programs, and meeting new friends!
Don’t forget to scroll all the way to the bottom to see our photo of the week!
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- Kelowna: Friday, September 27
- Winnipeg: Friday, October 4th
- Ladner: Saturday, October 5
- Ottawa: Friday, October 11
- Toronto: Saturday, October 19
- Vancouver: Friday, October 25
- Langley: Saturday, October 26
- Comox: Friday, November 1
Bulale (Tanzania): Meet Jovina
VOH Bulale would like you to meet Jovina. Jovina is a sweet little four-year-old in our Nursery class. She lives with her mother in the nearby community. Her mother struggles to provide basic needs without regular employment but does her best for Jovina.
Jovina enjoys school and has made many friends at the Village. Though she is a little bit shy at first, she has warmed up to the other children and staff.
She is learning how to read and likes to practice. She also learned about caring for plants recently and loves to water the plants around the Village.
We are excited to watch Jovina continue to grow and learn!
Bwiza (Burundi): Accepting New Students!
This week at VOH Bwiza, our Lead Team was busy conducting interviews with the guardians of those hoping to join our preschool in September for the new school year.
We receive many applications but only have limited space. As an organization, we have set criteria for acceptance into our schools so we can ensure the children we accept are those who are most in need of support.
Double orphans are the first considered for placement, then single orphans, then other vulnerable children whose parents may be alive but are living in poverty.
We look forward to welcoming new children into our program for the coming year!
Chongwe (Zambia): Enjoying School Break!
Here at VOH Chongwe, we love to see children playing and having fun together! We work hard to ensure the safety of our children, young and old, as they play together.
During the August school break, our children have been enjoying many different activities including chess, basketball, soccer, and a variety of other fun games.
We wish them all the best as they enjoy their break and spend extra time with their friends. Soon it will be time to go back to school for the final term of the 2019 school year!
Kitwe (Zambia): School Break Studying
The month of August is school break in Zambia, but here at VOH Kitwe, our children come to the Village each day for the feeding program and any other assistance they may need.
For those who live in the children’s homes at the Village, their housemothers are taking this opportunity to help them with any homework they may find challenging. This is particularly important for those who are in either grade 7, 9, or 12 and are preparing for their upcoming government exams.
We are happy to see our children passionate about their schoolwork and loving what they are learning!
Malawi: Feeding Program Fun!
It’s winter holiday break here at VOH Malawi but that doesn’t mean we stop caring for our children. Every day our site is open for children to attend the feeding program, which ensures they are having balanced nutrition in their diet.
The cooks begin preparing the food at 8 a.m. and by 8:30 the children have arrived. At 8:45 everyone queues up to wash their hands and find a seat with their friends. At 9, the high energy protein supplement (HEPS) porridge is served hot to each child. At 9:05 they give thanks for the food and a few minutes after that it’s a room full of empty plates and full tummies!
Maramvya (Burundi): New Classrooms Opening Soon!
This week at VOH Maramvya, we are excited to share the progress of three new classrooms being built at the Village! Today, as you can see in the photos, only the roof and some finishing touches remain.
Soon these three classrooms will be available for the 2019-2020 Burundi school year, which starts in September. Our children are excited to see the progress of their new classrooms!
We are grateful to those here in Burundi and our supporters in Canada who are dedicated to providing a better life for the children in our care.
Mongu (Zambia): Scripture Songs!
It was wonderful to have three of our VOH Mongu students visit VOH Chongwe! The students–John, Isaac, and Kahilu–helped Debbie and Susie (missionaries at The Zambia Project in Mongu) facilitate a scripture songwriting workshop in Chongwe.
John, Isaac, and Kahilu have been writing scripture songs and teaching them to students at church and the school for about a year now. After some teaching on songwriting, the three students sang their songs and then helped the other students write their own. Everyone was amazed at the creativity!
Songwriting is one of the discipleship groups that are being encouraged at VOH and we are so excited to see them starting to grow and flourish. Our students had an absolute blast visiting another VOH for the first time and meeting so many other students at VOH Chongwe!
Mwanza (Tanzania): Child Safeguarding
Recently at VOH Mwanza, we took time with all of our staff to review important aspects of our Child Safeguarding Policy. We do this periodically to ensure everyone is up to date on our policies and understands them well.
Our Child Protection Officer, Happy, led the training sessions. During the sessions, we reviewed several topics such as the code of conduct, positive discipline methods, how to speak to children, and the importance of listening to the children.
We also had time for staff members to ask questions and get more clarification on any topic they didn’t fully understand.
We know bringing all of the staff together in this way unites us and reminds us of our most important mission: to ensure every child in our programs is loved and cared for and kept safe!
Zimbabwe: Dereck’s Art
One of our children at VOH Zimbabwe, Dereck, came to the Village at a very tender age and under very difficult circumstances. He has grown into a talented boy who has found a way to express himself through art.
The journey started with a building class where they were required to draw building plans. Dereck says that as he was doing that he realized that he liked it and wanted to try something else.
So with a little encouragement, he has begun the journey with this piece that he says sprung from his mind.
This is what VOH is all about: allowing children to shine and make something out of their lives!