VOH Bwiza (Burundi) Update: Aline’s Story
Aline lost her dad at a very young age, and her mother could not send her to school. Aline had no choice but to stay home while other children her age went to school. After a few years, Aline headed to Bujumbura, Burundi’s capital city, where she eventually met Delson, the VOH Bwiza Director. Delson offered Aline the opportunity for free education at VOH Bwiza, which she gladly accepted. As she was already older than most of the students, Aline started her primary education in grade 4. Despite having no previous schooling, she was very committed and did very well! Last year, Aline graduated and is now in University. This past weekend, her VOH Bwiza family had the privilege of attending her wedding! We love seeing how God is faithful and keeps bringing hope into what seem to be hopeless situations.
VOH Chongwe (Zambia) Update: School Opening
The VOH Chongwe School opened this week, and the children are so excited to be back in school after the long break. There were smiles all around when they reconnected with their friends. Although the children enjoyed their holiday, they are excited to be back and starting new grades. We continue to follow COVID-19 safety procedures, which the students are now used to. Our main gate’s entry point always has a medical person ready to take the children’s and staff’s temperatures before they enter. Heavy disinfecting is ongoing, and everyone who enters the Village must wear a mask and wash their hands upon entry.
VOH Kitwe (Zambia) Update: Returning to School
After a break, returning to school can be stressful as children get reacquainted with the routines and structure of the school program. We are happy to report that, once again, our VOH Kitwe children have transitioned back into school very well. The students are happy to be back and settling into their classes well. We thank the entire VOH Administration and school staff for putting everything in place and ensuring the school environment is ready and safe!
VOH Luongo (Zambia) Update: School Reopening
This week all schools in Zambia have reopened, and at VOH Luongo, we are ready for the new school term. The children are so thankful to be back in class, and the teachers are ready and excited to teach. Information about COVID-19 has been integrated into the subjects being taught as a regular reminder and encouragement for everyone. The children’s guardians regularly tell us how happy they are with all that VOH is doing for their children and their community. We are so grateful to all of our sponsors and donors who pray for us and support us as we care for these precious young children!
VOH Maramvya (Burundi) Update: A Successful Harvest!
It was recently harvesting time at VOH Maramvya, and we are so thankful to have a big field that we can cultivate to help feed our children. We use the maize and soybeans that we grow to prepare the daily porridge served to our children each day when they come to school. The harvest was so big that we cooked some maize for the kids to sample after finishing their lunch. They loved it!
VOH Mongu (Zambia) Update: Exploring Creativity
We are excited that our kids are back at school here at VOH Mongu! Despite the ongoing pandemic, the kids got to see their teachers, and both teachers and kids were happy to see each other. It was so good to see everyone having fun learning and playing together once again! We always encourage the children to try new things and discover new creative ways to express themselves. There is a lot of talent amongst our students, and by encouraging them to try new things, we are watching them become increasingly confident in their abilities. Even when the kids try something that doesn’t come easily to them, they still have fun because we teach them to be kind to themselves and each other.
VOH Mwanza (Tanzania) Update: Healthcare Updates
This week at VOH Mwanza, our healthcare and nutritional team examined our nursery kids at our Nyasaka Day Care Centre. Our annual medical exams for all our kids help us track each child’s health and nutritional progress. We are ensuring our kids build strong immunities against diseases by adding more nutritional components into their daily diet. Joyce, one of the young girls, had surgery four months ago and is doing well, fully recovered, and very healthy. She’s always happy to see our team visit, and so are all the other kids!
VOH Zimbabwe Update: Feeding Program During Lockdown
In the nation of Zimbabwe, we are back in lockdown. Despite this added challenge, we continue ensuring the children in our outreach areas continue to receive the food they so desperately need. This week at our VOH Zimbabwe Star outreach satellite program, we distributed porridge to the children while observing the safety protocols as outlined by the authorities. The smiles and the cheers keep us wanting to do more. We are currently unable to cook for the kids on location; therefore, we are packaging the porridge in 5kg packs, which will feed the child every morning for at least a month. It is always a joy to minister to children this way and to see them continue to thrive even during these challenging times.