This week we received polio vaccines, harvested healthy tomatoes, and practised reading!
VOH Bwiza (Burundi) Update: Visitors from Canada!
VOH Bwiza has been very happy to have Dennis and his son-in-law Nick visiting us here in Burundi for the last two weeks! We are so thankful for the time they spent with us. Their visit was a huge encouragement, and we appreciate how they support our work in so many different ways! We are always so happy when they come to visit. Each of them sponsors several VOH children, and one of the highlights of their visit was the time they were able to spend visiting the kids they sponsor!
VOH Chongwe (Zambia) Update: New Local Partner!
This week VOH Chongwe is happy to announce our new local partner, Mad Gear Motorcycle Club. The Mad Gear Motorcycle Club is a group of young men who live in Lusaka, about 45 minutes from our centre. They have formed a riding club, focusing on helping children in need. This year, they heard about VOH Chongwe and came for a visit to familiarize themselves with how we support vulnerable children in our community. During their visit, they told us they were very impressed with the work we are doing, the level of care, and the quality of education given to every VOH child. They returned for a second visit and brought gifts, including school bags, toothpaste, toothbrushes, flip flops, baseball caps, bedding, books, drinking bottles, mosquito repellant, mealie meal, and soccer balls. We were all blown away by their generosity! They have promised to continue supporting our work. The children were so happy to see them again, and they could not contain their joy when they saw all of the gifts. We are so thankful to Mad Gear for putting a smile on our children’s faces.
VOH Kitwe (Zambia) Update: New Preschool Students
The children who recently began preschool here at VOH Kitwe are so excited to be in school! Of course, not all children are the same; some are shy and hesitant to talk or mingle with the other kids, while others are excited and outgoing and run all over the place to meet as many other kids as possible! But whether shy or outgoing, everyone finds their place and gets comfortable with their new surroundings and friends. We love helping the kids settle in and showing them all of the fun things school has to offer! Our teachers love the kids and work hard to ensure each one settles in well and feels safe and comfortable in their class and on the playgrounds. Thank you to all of our amazing, committed VOH teachers and staff!
VOH Luongo (Zambia) Update: Reading Program
At VOH Luongo, some children regularly come for extra reading time before class begins because they love reading and want to read as many different books as possible! The teaching staff is more than ready to help each one of them. Offering students the opportunity to come early and read is important because we know it will improve their reading levels so we can easily reach the reading target the Ministry of Education has set for all Zambian schools. We are happy that the children are excited about the reading program. The kids and their families understand that the teachers are doing everything they can so they can be helped and have every opportunity available to them as they go through school. Many of the books the children read are donated, and we are so grateful to our friends, who kindly send us beautiful books for the children!
VOH Malawi Update: Polio Vaccinations
This week at VOH Malawi, we welcomed visitors from the Ministry of Health. Due to an outbreak last month, the Malawi government began distributing polio vaccinations across the nation. We are very thankful to be included in their vaccine program! They vaccinated children aged five and under according to health guidelines. Polio is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis. The invitation to receive the polio vaccine was given to all VOH Malawi kids and their siblings to protect them, their families, and their communities.
VOH Mongu (Zambia) Update: Successful Harvest
We had another great harvest at VOH Mongu, and we are pleased to report our tomatoes are thriving! Timothy, one of our VOH Mongu kids, helped with the harvest. We take every opportunity to include our kids in these activities; they love doing it, and it’s good training for them. The food we harvest becomes part of the healthy daily meals we give to the kids living in our children’s homes. We also have enough to sell to the staff and community, which injects funds back into our farming project. Thank you to our team, who have been doing an incredible job overseeing and ensuring that our crops are well taken care of and maintained!