COVID-19 In Africa
Major African stats as of June 16:
- Confirmed cases: 251,408
- Number of deaths: 6,763
- Recoveries: 114,212
- Active cases: 130,433
- Virus-free countries: none
Updates from where we work as of June 16:
- Burundi: 85
- Malawi: 555
- Tanzania: 509
- Zambia: 1,382
- Zimbabwe: 387
(source: africanews.com)
Support our Work During COVID-19 by Donating HOPE Packs!
Each package contains:
- 1 bottle of liquid hand soap
- 2kgs of nutritious porridge
- reusable face masks (with use and care instructions)
- children’s multi-vitamins
- a COVID-19 safety handout
Each HOPE Pack costs $20. We’ve already raised $7,000–that’s 350 HOPE Packs!
Support this initiative by donating a HOPE Pack!
VOH Bulale (Tanzania) Update: Checking In
Recently at VOH Bulale, while our school remains closed, our staff have been checking in on the children at home in their communities. They are taking all necessary precautions to avoid the spread of COVID-19, but want to ensure our children are getting their basic needs met and are doing well during this time home from school.
We have a schedule and are visiting every family regularly. We are so thankful that our children are doing well, staying healthy, and even managing to keep up with their homework packages.
During these visits, we also have the opportunity to pray with each family and continue to share about the importance of staying healthy and protected during this season.
VOH Bwiza (Burundi) Update: VOH Graduate Gets Married!
At VOH Bwiza we are pleased to see Zena, a VOH graduate, get married!
When Zena met VOH Burundi Director Delson, she was in a bad situation and was about to drop out of school. Thanks to VOH, though, she was able to stay in school and complete her secondary education.
After graduation, she was able to attend university, thanks to a sponsorship by the Women’s Ministry Group at Cross Church in Winnipeg, Canada!
We are so happy for Zena and thankful for the life she is living, full of hope for the future! Congratulations Zena and Alberic for your marriage!
VOH Chongwe (Zambia) Update: Health Monitoring
This week at VOH Chongwe we are so happy to resume recording our children’s growth measurements!
Taking these measurements is an important part of ongoing health screening. Recording and tracking these measurements allows us to identify any changes quickly and respond with added nutrition and any other necessary medical assistance that may be required.
We keep a record of each child’s measurements so it’s easy to identify any changes. We are so thankful to see how healthy most of our children are because we have been able to continue providing daily nutrition even during the current pandemic.
We are committed to monitoring the health of the VOH Chongwe children and providing the best care for them through our feeding program and clinic.
VOH Kitwe (Zambia) Update: Food Production
At VOH Kitwe, we utilize our land for food production wherever we can. At the moment we are growing green leafy vegetables, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, bananas, and carrots. We also continue to raise chickens!
The plan is to increase our production of all these crops so we can train our students on how to farm and raise chickens and share what we produce with their families.
We are very grateful for the outcome of this season, which is giving us the encouragement to do more. Through this program, we are rising to the COVID-19 pandemic challenges, including the shortages of essential foods and price inflations.
VOH Luongo (Zambia) Update: Helping Out at Home
At VOH Luongo, we are proud of how responsible and helpful our children are in their homes!
Meet Janet, 10 years old and in grade 3, and Hildah, 7 years old and in grade 2. First thing In the morning they come to our center and receive their daily HEPS porridge. When they return home, they cheerfully help with the chores that are common to all children here in Zambia.
Janet’s chore for the day when we visited was washing cloths and Hildah’s was sweeping.
We are happy to see that our children have time to play, study, and help when they are at home. The importance of this balanced approach is part of our ongoing teaching for both our students and their caregivers.
It is our prayer that our children will grow up to make a difference in their communities and be initiators of development for the better when it comes to basic human needs.
VOH Malawi Update: Visiting VOH Families
This week at VOH Malawi we’ve headed out on the road to visit some of our more remote families.
Due to COVID-19 our usual visits with these families were not able to take place due to the restrictions surrounding group gatherings and the dangers they pose. Instead, our team is visiting each family home where they can remain physically distant while having a meaningful visit with the VOH children in the household.
Each visit was also an opportunity to bless the home with a handwashing bucket with tap and a water catch basin, soap, and warm blankets as June and July are cold months, with temperatures often dropping to single digits Celsius overnight.
VOH Maramvya (Burundi) Update: New Multipurpose Room!
At VOH Maramvya we recently set up a multipurpose room for our children. This room serves as a place to serve the children their daily nutritious meal while keeping them out of the heat or rain depending on the time of year. We also plan to use this room in the future as a place for the children to play games, do art, and enjoy other fun activities.
The children are very happy to have this new room!
VOH Mongu (Zambia) Update: Save a Life Center Update
While Zambia is still under some restrictions in terms of gathering, the government has allowed VOH Mongu’s Save A Life program to continue running provided that we follow strict safety measures, which we are doing.
We are so glad that we are still able to provide proper nutrition and care for the 52 young children in our Save A Life program, which is specifically for malnourished children.
Each week, 52 caregivers bring in their children, receive the proper nutrition for them, and get their child weighed and checked by our amazing staff.
We know many people are without work at the moment, so needs like these are more prominent than ever and we are so glad we’re able to help the community in this way!
VOH Mwanza (Tanzania) Update: Caring for Child During COVID-19
At VOH Mwanza, we are grateful that during this season of COVID-19 we can continue serving our community children.
In addition to receiving their Hope Packs a few weeks ago, we have also distributed regular nutritional support.
Every two weeks (minimum) all community children receive 2 kg of nutritious flour for making porridge. We also ensure they have an ongoing supply of vitamin syrup to ensure they are getting all the nutrients they need, especially during this time.
We want to do everything we can to ensure our kids remain healthy and strong. We are thankful to see that so far all of our community kids are happy, healthy and are continuing to thrive even during this pandemic. We are so thankful for these reports!
VOH Zimbabwe Update: Writing to Sponsors
At VOH Zimbabwe, we can have children come to the center for daily food and healthcare now that the lockdown has been lifted.
During their recent visit to the Village, we had the children write to their sponsors. This was done under strict supervision to ensure social distancing was practiced and all supplies were properly sanitized.
The children write these letters at least twice each year and it helps keep them connected to their sponsors (and vice versa!)
If you would like to sponsor a VOH child, visit vohafrica.com/child-sponsorship