Village of Hope building plans

Posted by christine, November 28, 2006

Here’s the update on what’s happening with the *Village of Hope*, a safe community of huts, a workshop, a medical clinic, a community center and a school that you are helping us build for nearly 500 *”child mothers”* who were sex slaves to rebel soldiers in the “Lord’s Resistance Army,” a rebel paramilitary group in Northern Uganda. These young women are called ‘child mothers’ because they were only children themselves when they were abducted, trained as fighters, and given as sex slaves. Now that they are free, the community at large often rejects them and their children, but their home at Village of Hope will be a safe haven for them. This project is specifically being supported through the *Matt Wertz Mocha Club*.

For some more background info on Village of Hope and the situation with the women there, please read our previous blog about it.

The good news is that we have now built some of the huts and are moving forward with building the Job Training Center! We have to hold off on finishing the huts until we have more rain to make the thatched roofs. The Job Training Center has room for juice making, basket making, adult education, a bakery, knitting and weaving, bead making, an office, and a sales room. The women will be able to use this center to develop employable skills, as well as sell products to the surrounding community. Click here to see the plans for the Job Training Center. Here’s a photo of the beginnings of the Job Training Center construction:

VOH Training Center Progress

Here’s a photo of the huts in progress:

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Also, take a look at the Medical Center plans and plans for the school. This is all part of a process of full rehabilitation for these young women. This community will meet all the needs of these women and their babies, and we are humbled to be a part of their transformation from sex slaves to dignified women and loving mothers. We are thankful for you, as your contributions are making this happen!

Click here to see more photos of the women and babies at the Butterfly Center in Gulu, where they are being served temporarily until the Village of Hope is completed.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on these child mothers in Gulu and the rehabilitation work YOU are making possible through your contributions. The more friends you have on your team, the more we can provide for these women and their babies.

Our team’s recent visit to Kenya + Uganda

Posted by christine, November 20, 2006

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Dear Mocha Club friends,

Mocha Club Coordinator, *Christine Bailey*, and Project Director, *Barrett Ward*, visited several of our projects in Kenya & Uganda from October 27th-November 5th. We wanted to share these photos with you to show you the progress of what you’re making happen in Africa! You should recognize several of the faces and projects by now. We hope you enjoy seeing the hope that is being extended to our brothers and sisters, thanks to YOUR participation in Mocha Club. Please keep inviting your friends – every $7 makes a difference!

*CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PHOTOS!*

_All photos by Christine Bailey._

Living Hope Community Centre October Update

Posted by christine, November 16, 2006

_The following is an update from Living Hope Community Centre near Cape Town, South Africa, which is supported by Mocha Club funds. _

*Life Abounds at Living Hope*

The gates to the Living Hope Community Centre are overwhelmingly a pathway to new life for the hundreds of people who come for help. According to figures just released, last year, more than 80% of hospice patients in the 22 bed facility were nursed back to a measure of health. With a current staff of 136, Living Hope can serve many more needy people. A recently released annual report describes this ministry growth. From April 2005 to March 2006, home-based caregivers and social workers visited 11,243 sick people in four communities. Of these, 2942 were treated in five wound dressing clinics in Ocean View, Red Hill, Masiphumele, Capricorn and Muizenberg/Westlake. The clinics provide one of the key opportunities Living Hope has to serve areas with high populations of HIV infected people.

*South Africa’s Children Dying from AIDS*

More children are dying from HIV/AIDS, and this is especially true in Cape Town’s poorest neighbourhoods according to a new study in the South Africa Medical Journal.

Undertaken by the Red Cross and the Children’s Institute of the University of Cape Town, the data shows that, “causing at least one in three deaths, HIV/AIDS stands out as by far the most common cause of death.”

This is true, not only for children, but for every category of people. Therefore prevention is a huge part of Living Hope’s focus. Prevention is done mainly through a Life Skills program, Children’s and Holiday Clubs and work in Kalk Bay, Simon’s Town and Muizenberg’s public schools. Abstinence and faithfulness are emphasized for the youth and adults. In the Children’s Clubs, kids in high risk families are provided a safe place in which to play, eat nourishing food and see positive role models for their lives. Every aspect of the prevention work includes HIV and AIDS lessons and words from the Bible to give hope and guidance to those who desire it.

*Pray*

The most powerful force in the world is prayer, and the Bible encourages us to be faithful in prayer for God’s work. We ask you to pray for us regularly and use this letter as a guide to pray for the people and work highlighted.

*Give*

We thank God for all who faithfully give to Living Hope monthly or annually and for those who volunteer their time and ministry to us. We need your continued support for this ministry so that more people with HIV and AIDS can be helped and even more guided away from this pandemic.

Click here to view the Living Hope website.

Mocha Club staff + Calvary Youth Hostel Boys

Posted by christine, November 14, 2006

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Mocha Club Coordinator, Christine Bailey, and African Leadership Project Director, Barrett Ward, with several of the boys at Calvary Youth Hostel in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya, which is supported by Mocha Club funds. We, along with 7 other friends of our ministry, were able to visit the boys at the end of October to hear about their progress in the faith and with their new business ventures. Keep reading for an update from Jackson Atsango, Director of Calvary Youth Hostel._

Am excited to let you know what is happening now with the boys.

Benard, Felix, and Alfred have done their first national exam paper. They are competing with over 300,000 candidates countrywide. Please pray for them. Thanks for your support to see to it that today and the next 3 weeks to come is successful.

Secondly, several of the boys who have started a business selling bananas in Kibera have just been approved to register with a self-help group which will help them write more proposals to expand in their project. Thanks to African Leadership for the financial provision to start their business. This month they made a profit of kshs. 8,000 (Kenyan shillings).

As a result of the intense discipleship here at Calvary, Moses and George have started an evangelism team called “Sovereign Hope Ministry” with the goal of reaching fellow youth in the slums. [Here is a view of the Kibera slums...]

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As far as recreational activity, Emerson Jedi and a friend have started a soccer team of 30 players of under twelve and fourteen years of age. Peter, Joseph and Benard play for different teams in the slum which is realy helping to mingle with the community.

We have just started a new course of descipleship with 6 boys from the home and 6 from Calvary High School which will be done by January.