This week we wrote exams, held Career Day, and celebrated new water tanks!
VOH Bwiza (Burundi) Update: Visiting the Children’s Families
At VOH Bwiza, we know that community and family play a significant role in the overall well-being of our children.
Recently we visited the families of some of our VOH Bwiza children to hear how the children are doing at home and if there are any questions or concerns.
We took this opportunity to review our child safeguarding policy. We want the children to feel safe and cared for at home and our VOH centre.
The kids love it when staff from VOH visit their families and spend time together. It makes them feel loved and valued!
VOH Chongwe (Zambia) Update: Writing Exams
Recently at VOH Chongwe, our students wrote end-of-term exams. Writing exams is essential for the school, as it allows teachers to celebrate successes with their students and identify any learning gaps.
Now that the tests are complete, the students are on a four-week break while their teachers focus on marking. At the beginning of the next term, the teachers will assist their students in areas where they may need additional support based on their exam results.
This intentional focus early in the school year helps the students succeed throughout the rest of the school year.
VOH Kitwe (Zambia) Update: Teachers Working with Parents
The first term of the 2023 school year has come to an end in Zambia, and recently, our VOH Kitwe teaching staff were happy for the chance to interact with their student’s parents and guardians when they came to collect report cards.
The parents and guardians were grateful to talk to the teachers and see how their children are doing in school. The teachers were happy to report that most children are doing exceptionally well!
In cases where a child may require some extra care or support, the teachers took this opportunity to discuss the situation with the child’s parent or guardian.
It is great to see how the parents are working hand in hand with the teachers for the well-being of their children!
VOH Luongo (Zambia) Update: Taking Part in Chapel
It is always a joy to see how much children love to sing! At VOH Luongo, our chapel service is a great time for the children and staff because they get many opportunities to sing together.
Recently during the chapel service, the children led the singing! They also shared some bible verses, and the young ones shared poems.
Being involved in chapel services greatly boosts the children’s self-confidence. We are happy that the discipleship program is going so well and that the children can share the Love of God with others!
VOH Malawi Update: New Water Towers!
One of the projects that has been going on at VOH Malawi since the end of last year is the construction of a much-needed water tower.
We have had a poor water supply in the past, and sometimes our taps have been dry for several days, making things very challenging. When this would happen, we’d have to take 2 to 3 trips to collect water from 4 km away. We also had very low water pressure due to the high population in our area.
We are happy to report that the project is now complete! We have two tanks that store 5,000 litres of water each. We now have lots of water, and we can go up to a week without any new water coming from the city pipes, and we don’t even notice any difference!
We are so grateful for the generous donors who came in and helped us solve this serious water problem!
VOH Maramvya (Burundi) Update: National Exams
Recently at VOH Maramvya, our students wrote their national exams. The exams are designed to determine students’ understanding of the curriculum taught so far this school year.
Preschool classes are not involved in these exams, so our preschool teachers prepare age-appropriate tests for them.
The exams took place over five days, and afterwards, the teachers handed a report to the headteacher. We were so happy that our students wrote their examinations without fear; the area coordinator even commented on their confidence.
We are proud of our students and confident their results will be excellent!
VOH Mongu (Zambia) Update: Career Day
Recently at VOH Mongu, our school held Career Day!
It was an absolute joy to witness our students participating, which was made even more special by our teachers, who dressed up in school uniforms to commemorate the occasion.
Our children also dressed up! Their costumes brought the event to life, showcasing an array of career aspirations, including doctors, nurses, engineers, pilots, and many more!
We were also honoured to have guests from various professions who spoke to our students, offering encouragement.
Overall, it was a truly colourful and inspiring day!
VOH Mwanza (Tanzania) Update: Visit from Canadian Students!
Recently, VOH Mwanza had the privilege of hosting students from Canada. The students were given the task of painting the classrooms, which they did very well.
They also spent lots of time interacting with the children at our VOH school, and together they did arts and crafts, played games and took part in a sports event that included playing soccer together.
It was a time filled with laughter and fun as both sides interacted and learned from each other.
We are grateful to the West Islands school for allowing their students to travel to Tanzania to spend time at our VOH centre!
VOH Zimbabwe Update: Vacation Bible School!
It’s school break in Zimbabwe, and during this time at VOH Zimbabwe, we held VBS (Vacation Bible School) for our primary school children.
During VBS, the kids play games and participate in various sports. They also watch movies and learn about the Bible through drawing, writing and acting.
VBS is an important part of our discipleship program; the kids look forward to it each year!