VOH Bwiza (Burundi) Update: Meet Jayson
Jayson lives with his grandmother, and sadly, life is very difficult for her as she does her best to provide for her family. Jayson’s mother is unable to work, so they rely on his grandmother for support. When Jayson’s grandmother learned about VOH Bwiza, she applied for him to join our preschool. By helping his grandmother with Jayson’s care, VOH has made it possible for him to continue living with his family. We are very thankful we can help give Jayson hope and have him as part of our VOH family! His grandmother is very grateful for the support.
We would like to thank all of our sponsors for their commitment to our work. Your support is making a big difference in the lives of children like Jayson! You can support a child like Jayson by visiting our Child Sponsorship page!
VOH Chongwe (Zambia) Update: Growing Our Own Food
Despite the recent third wave of COVID-19 in Zambia, VOH Chongwe continues to run our feeding program for all the children in our care. Food production has been our focus over the years through our greenhouses and gardens. The greenhouses allow us to grow crops even when they are out of season. We cultivate every available piece of land for long-lasting food security at our Center both during and after the pandemic. Both the children and staff are happy to see the continued success of their labour!
VOH Kitwe (Zambia) Update: Victor Visits!
This week at VOH Kitwe, Victor, one of our former students, came to visit us! He heard that our youth are participating in our food production expansion and wanted to see the progress for himself. The youth are learning to grow various vegetables like cabbage, swiss chard, tomatoes, carrots, and onions. Victor was delighted to see what his friends were doing and immediately joined in to help water, prune, and weed. Victor commented on how this program will benefit the youth by providing them with knowledge and skills that will help them provide for themselves and their families. Whenever he is back in Kitwe, Victor told us he would stop by again to help out. We are so thankful for his commitment to his VOH family!
VOH Luongo (Zambia) Update: Meet Agatha and Humphrey
This week, VOH Luongo would like you to meet Agatha and Humphrey, two of our first grade 7 students. When they joined VOH, they had literacy challenges, but now they have pulled through thanks to their education at our school! They are both able to read and write with minimal difficulty. Despite the closure of schools due to the rise of COVID-19 cases, they are studying hard for their National Exams, which they write at the end of the year. The students are hopeful they will get good grades and move on to grade 8. We know they will do great!
VOH Malawi Update: Parent Volunteers
At VOH Malawi, we appreciate the work of our parent volunteers who help with cooking and cleaning at the Center. We have 16 volunteers annually and have a team of four every week. When there is a lot to be done, we will even have work for more than the usual weekly four. We give them a stipend for their participation, which helps them support their families!
VOH Mongu (Zambia) Update: Isaac Sketches the Executive Director
Recently at VOH Mongu, Isaac, one of our high school students, sketched a photo of our very own Executive Director of VOH Africa, Uncle Sergio! After being inspired during one of the Zoom Discipleship sessions with Uncle Serge, Isaac did this all on his own. We think it looks just like him and we are so impressed by his artistic ability. We showed the picture to Uncle Sergio, and he decided to sketch a picture of Isaac in return! Isaac was so thrilled and felt so valued by this! We love the community among VOH Africa and are blown away by how much talent there is in our kids!
VOH Mwanza (Tanzania) Update: Learning Advancement Program
High school results are in, and we are proud to see all the VOH Mwanza students excel! Because of their hard work, these students have paved the way towards post-secondary education and their career goals. This is a crucial stepping stone in their young adult lives, and VOH has strategies to continue supporting and empowering them as they transition out of high school. One way we are helping them is through our Learning Career Advancement (LCA) Program for people with Albinism. The students in this program recently started a one-month computer training program. In this program, they learn the basics of using a computer for academic gain using lecturers from a local university. They are also receiving inspiring talks from previous beneficiaries of our LCA Program. This whole program will culminate in each person receiving a brand-new personal laptop to use in their future educational journey.
VOH Zimbabwe Update: Emphasizing Practical Education
Through the new school curriculum, the Zimbabwean government emphasizes the importance of moving from theory to practical learning. Part of this curriculum change also includes changes to exams. Now 30% of the final exam mark is going to come from practical projects. This change helps students who are not academically gifted learn skills that will help them in the future. At VOH Zimbabwe, we are encouraging our students to take up practical subjects combined with academic ones. We see this as an excellent way to prepare children for a self-sufficient future!