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 we opened a new classroom block and launched a new primary school!
Don’t forget to scroll all the way to the bottom to see our photo of the week!
Evenings of Hope are coming your way!
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Join us for dinner, testimonies from VOH alumni, stories from special guests, music, and more!
- Kelowna: Friday, September 27
- Winnipeg: Friday, October 4th
- Ladner: Saturday, October 5
- Toronto: Saturday, October 19
- Vancouver: Friday, October 25
- Langley: Saturday, October 26
- Comox: Friday, November 1
Latest Blog “Where Are They Now: Joyce”
Bulale (Tanzania): Classroom Cleaning!
At the VOH Bulale, the children take turns cleaning the classrooms. They are taught how to sweep the floors and wipe away the dust from the desk. Keeping things clean and tidy ensures they have a clean, safe environment to learn in. Through these types of chores, the children are learning to be responsible and work together to keep our school looking great!
Bwiza (Burundi): New Graduates!
VOH Bwiza is excited to celebrate our five newest graduates! Belyse, Diane, Epaphras, Ange, and Donatienne received their certificates this Saturday for completing high school.
We are thankful for their sponsors who supported them throughout this journey!
Chongwe (Zambia): Exam Results
Our children at VOH Chongwe were so happy to receive their exam results for the end of the second term. They couldn’t help but show off their excellent reports to their caregivers.
Their teachers met with the children’s caregivers and shared the areas where the children are doing well and where they need extra support.
It was so exciting for all of us at VOH Chongwe to see how much the children have improved in their academic performance over the years!
Kitwe (Zambia): Government Exams
It’s exam time again at VOH Kitwe. The government exams are difficult and require serious studying because they cover topics from the current term and the rest of the year.
This week our grades 7, 9, and 12 students are busy studying for the exams and working with their teachers on any topics they feel they don’t fully understand.
Exams begin on November 4th and thanks to their hard work and the help of their teachers, our students are feeling confident they will get good results.
We wish them all the best!
Luongo (Zambia): Global Handwashing Day
Global Handwashing Day is celebrated on the 15th of October. This is an annual global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding the importance of handwashing with soap as an easy, effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.
This year’s theme is: “Clean hands for all.” VOH Luongo participated in this annual global event by meeting with the Luongo community parents and caregivers and reminding them of the importance of washing hands with soap and clean water. Our clinic nurse did a demo using a special handwashing station. When you want to wash your hands, you simply step on the string and water will start dripping without touching the container.
Parents enjoyed watching the demo and tried it out for themselves. They are excited to continue using the handwashing station and to teach the children how to use it!
Malawi: New Classroom Block!
This week at VOH Malawi we are excited to present our brand new classroom block! How exciting it’s been to follow the progress of the construction.
Our construction team worked hard throughout the school break to get the project done and it was successfully opened in time for the first day of school. This new school block provides space for our grade three students and space for grade four when we add it next year.
To build it, we used Hydraform bricks, which go together similar to Lego pieces and are efficient and extremely strong.
The students are overjoyed with their new learning space!
Maramvya (Burundi): New Primary School!
We are happy to announce that we’ve promoted our first preschool children into primary school here at VOH Maramvya!
We have officially opened this new level thanks to our beautiful new classrooms.
The kids are excited to be graduating to primary school and are looking smart with their new school uniforms, shoes, and bags.
We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to making this possible!
Mongu (Zambia): Teaching Maternal Health
This past week at VOH Mongu we invited the women from the nearby communities who have babies at our VOH Mongu Save a Life Center to come and learn about maternal health.
Dr. Kwan-yin, a doctor here at VOH Mongu, took the time to teach them many important and practical ways to take care of themselves and their babies.
After the session, we also taught them how to knit clothes for their babies. Sombo, one of the many women from our Hope Art department, was such a huge help in showing the women how to knit. They were all excited because they know how helpful being able to make clothes for their babies will be.
We had a wonderful time together. This was just one more way we can impact our community!
Zimbabwe: Tackling Water and Power Challenges
Right now in Zimbabwe, we have ongoing power and water shortages, which are affecting us at the Village.
One of the things we are deliberate about is utilizing these challenges to equip our children with the skills to tackle them when it is time for them to care for themselves and their families.
We are teaching the children how to cut firewood for cooking and how to fetch water from water tanks. During the training, the older children practice doing the work and the younger ones watch.
While the situation isn’t ideal, we are proud of our children for rising to the challenge! We know these skills will come in handy now and in the future.