This week at VOH Africa, we welcomed new staff, empowered caregivers, and explored our artistic sides!
VOH Bulale (Tanzania) Update: Greetings from Laurent!
Laurent is one of the 150 children in our VOH Bulale education program. He is an exceptional young boy who just completed grade 2. VOH Bulale is happy to be a safe learning environment for many children like Laurent. During the end-of-year reflection, he shared his highlights of 2021. He was excited to show us the class award board and where his awards were for good behaviour and excellent improvement in class. He also showed us his favourite break-time activity: playing football with friends. Laurent and many children like him reflect our education program’s impact on the Bulale community!
VOH Bwiza (Burundi) Update: Beginning Term 2!
At VOH Bwiza, we are starting Term 2 of the school year. In Burundi, the school year divides into three school terms. The first term begins in September and ends at Christmas. The second starts just after Christmas and ends at Easter. The final term starts just after Easter and ends around July for the summer holidays. The second term plays a particularly critical role in the school year as all the initial concepts are introduced in term one, and in the second term, students begin to build on what they’ve learned. Term three focuses on end-of-year exams. We wish our students a fun and successful term ahead!
VOH Chongwe (Zambia) Update: Meet Emmanuel
Emmanuel is ten years old and lives in one of our VOH Chongwe children’s homes. He came to VOH Chongwe in 2014 when he was four years old. We are so thankful we can provide a loving family for Emmanuel! He is a happy and intelligent boy; he likes playing with his friends. And his favourite toys are cars and balls. This year, Emmanuel will be going into grade 6. His favourite subject is mathematics, and he hopes to be a pilot when he grows up. We are so happy to have Emmanuel as part of our VOH family!
VOH Kitwe (Zambia) Update: Keeping Our School Clean
At VOH Kitwe, our school staff takes pride in our school’s appearance by helping keep it clean. This week, they were busy cleaning the grounds in preparation for the first week of school. The school administrators ensure a clean and risk-free environment for the students’ health, safety, and well-being. A clean school positively impacts the students, making them even more excited and proud to attend!
VOH Luongo (Zambia) Update: Gardening!
VOH Luongo students continue coming to our Centre, even during the recent school break. They come for the feeding program and help out in the school garden. In the garden, they help by removing weeds and pulling ready vegetables. All this is done under the supervision of the teachers and the school gardener, Eliud. Recently, we planted Chinese cabbage and okra. The okra is now ready for harvesting and will be given to vulnerable families from our community. The children love being part of our gardening project and are always excited to see the fruit (and vegetables) of their labour!
VOH Malawi Update: Welcome, New Staff!
A new year at VOH Malawi means new staff. We add a new grade to our school each year as our students progress. For 2022, we are welcoming four new teachers, two new interns, one aunty, and four hospitality staff. The hospitality team has replaced volunteers as we now have more kids, and there is a need to transition the responsibilities to permanent staff. We are so pleased with our new staff members and the energy they bring!
VOH Maramvya (Burundi) Update: Meet Kevin
Meet Kevin, a new teacher at our VOH Maramvya school. Kevin holds a University diploma from the University of Burundi’s English Department. Kevin went through all his studies to become a teacher, and God guided him to us. He has shown love for his profession and the VOH children during his time with us so far. He teaches grade 4, and all the students in his class admire him. We thank God for gradually forming a team dedicated to our VOH Maramvya children!
VOH Mongu (Zambia) Update: Thank You, John!
Meet John, one of our many hardworking staff here at VOH Mongu. Mr. John works tirelessly to maintain our fish farm, chicken project, and vegetable farms. He is dedicated and hardworking and is committed to producing good things to help our Centre grow. Having individuals like him amongst our staff members is such a blessing. Not only does he contribute to the works and achievements of our Centre, but he’s also a caring and friendly man who loves God. We pray God blesses us with more people like him to grow as VOH Mongu.
VOH Mwanza (Tanzania) Update: Exploring Creativity
At VOH Mwanza, we encourage our children to explore their creative and artistic sides. We give the children opportunities to express themselves through poetry, dance, writing, and music. This week, our volunteer Kristina made use of donated watercolour paints, face paint, brushes, and paper to create a fun activity for the children. Painting is an activity enjoyed by children of all ages because there is no limit in expression; it encourages individualism, confidence, and fun! Our children would like to thank our generous donors for the art materials!
VOH Zimbabwe Update: Empowering Caregivers
At VOH Zimbabwe, we commit to empowering our children along with their caregivers. Recently, we requested that the caregivers come together in groups and submit proposals for sustainability projects. The response was overwhelming. We selected two groups to pilot their chicken project ideas. We are excited to report that they produced large, healthy chickens they can now sell! When we empower caregivers, we empower families, enabling us to support even more children. We look forward to more exciting initiatives from our caregivers!