Posted by christine, April 22, 2009
We received this udpate from our partners Living Hope Community Centre near Cape Town, South Africa, which is a facility Mocha Club helps support for those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
In a joint outreach to the community, Living Hope and various organizations and government departments recently held a jamboree at the
Masiphumelele High School. People from all areas were helped with issues such as applying for identity
document and grants. Many received more information on how to start up a business. Health and a healthier lifestyle were a big
part of the agenda. Nandi, Life skills educator from Masiphumelele gave a talk on TB and Living Hope Community based
Carers were on hand to test for blood pressure and HIV.
Nandi, life skills educator from Masiphumelele gives a talk on TB
Community Based Carers offering services such as
blood pressure testing and HIV testing
Posted by christine, April 21, 2009
We received this update from our partners on the ground in Sudan, Make Way Partners. Mocha Club helped build the girls’ orphanage in Nyamel, Sudan in 2007, and the boys orphanage will be completed soon! We wanted to share Santino’s story with you…
Santino is a beautiful young orphan boy who has been a part of our orphan care ministry in Sudan for nearly five years.
The boys have had no home or safe place to play after school or to sleep at night. One day last year, Santino was wandering around after school and was delighted when he found a new “toy.” He did not know that his new toy was, in fact, a grenade. As he played with it, it exploded and took most of his left hand off. Thankfully, our local team was able to get adequate medical care, and he survived!
Santino is now back in school and says he is thankful that it was his left hand and not his right so that he can continue to do well in school.
Santino and the other orphan boys will soon be living safely in the orphanage. VIEW RECENT PHOTOS of the orphanage in progress, taken by our African leadership staff.
Posted by christine,
Malnutrition is a leading killer in Africa. The worst cases are described as “severe wasting,” the process by which a debilitating disease causes muscle and fat tissue to “waste” away. It is all too common among the world’s 20 million HIV/AIDS children, as well as children who simply do not get enough food to sustain life.
World-renowned immunologist Floyd “Ski” Chilton, Ph.D., recently developed a revolutionary food supplement which includes essential fats that actually reverse the symptoms of severe wasting. And we were privileged to have him as a member of our team in Sudan, with our partners Persecution Project, during the Christmas outreaches.
Even Ski was amazed at the dramatic improvement in Abuk in less than a week
Ski Chilton is widely recognized for his work on the role of fatty acid metabolism in human diseases. He is a Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology at Wake Forest University Health Sciences and founder of its Program in Molecular Medicine, one of the most successful programs of its kind in the United States. The day after we arrived in Jach, our team met a victim of the deadly condition. Baby Abuk appeared to be about six months old. We were shocked to learn that she was actually four years old and terribly emaciated by malnutrition.
Working via satellite phone with physicians at Wake Forest, Ski immediately began applying his knowledge to save Abuk’s life. And over the next six days, we watched amazed as she moved steadily away from death’s door and began sitting up and becoming attentive and responsive…
The change was so dramatic that Dr. Chilton agreed to help our partners in Suda establish the protocols to add a specialized feeding station to our medical clinic in Jach.
We are so thankful for your support that helps those like Abuk and countless other children whose lives will be saved by this incredible medical breakthrough.
>> See video of MC Sponsor Dave Barnes when he met Abuk at her village in Sudan.
Posted by christine,
Remember our last update about the Primary School you’re helping build at Village of Hope in Gulu, Uganda? Well, it’s now complete! THANK YOU for helping make this possible!
The children who attend this school are made up of many of the Child Mothers’ children, AIDS/WAR orphans, and a few from the community. It is primarily a school for the most vulnerable children due to the war in northern Uganda for the last 23 years. Though it has subsided considerably, Joseph Kony, the LRA rebel leader, has not been captured and has been active in war crimes now in Congo and Sudan.
Without schooling, village life is about taking care of siblings, working and often often much food. We need to continue to do our part to help these children!
Here are some photos of the finished building and some children now enjoying their wonderful new facility…
The new school!
Inside one of the primary school classrooms
Playing in the school yard
Eating breakfast
Posted by christine, April 20, 2009
Thanks to MC member Lesli Bishop in Colorado, Mocha Club is now on a race car! Here’s a photo of the hood with the new MC logos and images…and then an earlier photo of the car before the decals were added. Sweet, huh?
(click photo to view larger)
The driver, Scott Blevins, races late models in the USLMA (U.S. Late Model Association), with his first big race (75 laps) taking place at Pikes Peak International Raceway (just south of Colorado Springs) on May 22nd/23rd.
His remaining racing schedule as follows:
June 13th: I-25 Speedway (75 laps)
June 27th: Sandia Motor Speedway (75 laps)
July 17th & 18th: Pikes Peak International Raceway
August 1st: Colorado National Speedway
August 15th: I-25 Speedway
August 28th & 29th Pikes Peak International Raceway
His Mocha Club team name is “Racing for Education”. He teaches Auto Tech in Amarillo, Texas, so he was excited to do something for kids in the arena of education! Thank you Scott!
