We are sad today that our little friend Prince, one of the Ghana orphans, has just passed away from AIDS. Please watch this video and remember him…

And thank you for all you do to serve our friends in Africa who are infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. We could not provide love and care and medication to those like Prince, without you.

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The following is an update from 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.

Children who scream and run around in class and totally ignore the teacher during a lesson create a discipline problem faced by so many school teachers. However, activity of any kind – whether it is soccer, netball or even racing around a field draws the attention of any child.

Living Hope Life Skills Educators face some of the same problems. Nathan Panti, team leader of the Life Skills Educators at the Ocean View location has used his initiative to combat this common trend of ill-discipline. Knowing that children love sports, he introduced a Mini-Olympics event! Nathan wanted to get the children’s attention and also reward them for their good behaviour by allowing them to participate in this event. This effort proved to be a huge success! Children who misbehaved couldn’t take part in these activities. This made it easier for teachers and educators to teach hassle-free. Children encouraged each other to behave in class because they so badly wanted to be involved.

Not only did it combat the problem, it also complemented the Department of Education’s expectations as to what should take place in schools, i.e. physical, personal, emotional and health education. The start of this tournament was led by one of the major companies in South Africa, Engen, who graciously supported the event and provided sponsorship in a number of ways. Marine Primary and Living Hope co-hosted the first 2008 Mini-Olympics at the Multi Purpose centre in Ocean View and it is hoped that this will be an annual event in the future.

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This summer, 1,050 children from grades 4 through 7 attended a “wait4me” concert at the King of Kings Baptist Centre. Led by the Prevention team of Living, the concert was held for those children who have made a commitment to abstain from sex until marriage and encourage others to do the same. The children came from the neighborhoods of Red Hill, Ocean View, Masiphumelele and Capricorn, places where Living Hope conducts after-school programs daily to help disadvantaged kids.

Through drama done by Living Hope, messages from life skills educators, and music by groups from our local communities, the boys and girls were given encouragement to help them fulfill their goals. Each child received a “wait 4 me” bandana and a wrist band that symbolizes their commitment. They enjoyed goodies which included a hotdog, chips, sweets and cool drink. The concert proved to have a positive impact on our children with clear and powerful messages. Feedback received suggests that they all look forward to repeating the event next year.

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Are you a leader on your college campus…in your church…at your high school? Mocha Club is about to launch out a new initiative called Make Change that will equip YOU to activate your community by running a campaign to provide aid to millions suffering in Africa.

What is a campaign, you ask? It’s you using your VOICE and your LEADERSHIP to call others to come together and make change. You have the ability to engage your community to be a part of something bigger than themselves and make a huge difference! An initiative of African Leadership and the Mocha Club, a Make Change campaign is based on the premise that a little help goes a long way…and YOU have the power to influence your community to learn…to act…to give…to make change.

Just like in Mocha Club, you can decide on a specific project that gets you excited…like building clean water wells in Darfur, Sudan, or sending kids to school in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, or supporting Child Mothers at the Village of Hope in Gulu, Uganda. As you continue to read and learn about the different areas of injustice all over Africa, try and notice what gets you the most fired up—that’s where your voice and your influence will be the most effective! Once you decide on the project area you think others would get excited about helping with, we can get you materials and resources to run a campaign – which can be one night, one week, one semester, or one year!

Mocha Club is all about creating community, connection, and a long-term commitment to give, while Make Change offers a short-term way for others to get involved by giving their time and their money through a campaign.

If this sounds like something you would want to be a part of, email us at makechange@mochaclub.org. And look for the launch of our site in the coming month. It’s time to Make Change for our friends in Africa.

Posted in Job Creation, Education, Sudan Regrowth, Child Mothers, Orphan Care, HIV/AIDS | no comments

African Leadership Director of Development and Relief, Gerry Wolf, traveled to Sunyani, Ghana last month to visit with the Grace Orphans that Mocha Club helps support at Odumasi Methodist Preschool & Primary School. You might remember the video of Prince, one of the children there who has AIDS. Thank you for helping us provide schooling, food, and hope for these children!
>> VIEW MORE PHOTOS of the Grace Orphans.

Posted in Education, HIV/AIDS, Orphan Care | no comments

MC Director, Barrett Ward, recently visited with our friends with the HEKKO (Heritage Kenya) Group in Kibera, Kenya. Several of them shared with Barrett what it’s like to live with HIV/AIDS in their part of Africa. Because of you, we are able to help this group of people by providing micro-loans so they can start their own small businesses and provide for themselves and their families. Thank you!

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>> See update on Kenya Election Riots and how you’ve been helping the Kenyan people.

Posted in Africa News, Education, Sudan Regrowth, Orphan Care, HIV/AIDS | 1 comment

We wanted to share more about what African Leadership and Mocha Club have done to address the needs created by the violence of the election in Kenya. Some of these relief items were distributed to displaced people through our network of churches in Kenya, and some were distributed to HIV+ people we work with in Kibera (in Nairobi), the biggest slum in East Africa.

The following funds provided for about 7000 family members! THANK YOU for doing your part to provide for the Kenyan people!

MC & AL RELIEF DISTRIBUTION FOR KENYA
(view more photos of distribution here)

ITEM	PRICE (USD)	COST PER UNIT (USD)
Maize meal 5780 KGS	$4,904	$0.85
Rice 100 KGS	113.60	1.14
Bread 215 loaves	101.20	0.47
Milk 1200 pkts	418.10	0.35
Milk 18 Tins	163.60	9.09
Cooking Oil 2520 Tins	3,627.20	1.44
Sugar 1520 KGS	1,556.80	1.02
Tea leaves 1820 pkts	965.10	0.53
Soap 450 bars	518.10	1.15
Blankets 92 pcs	578.40	6.29
Plates 150 pcs	72.70	0.48
Dry beans 4 sacks	392.70	98.17
Dry maize 5 sacks	95.40	19.08
Empty sacks	13.60	n/a
47 people with special cases (30 needed transport to western, 17 with paraffin, charcoal, sanitary towels,stove, etc)	712.00	n/a
Transport (taxis,fuel, and hiring a truck)	373.40	n/a
Car repair	166.60	n/a
Phone calls	106.00	n/a
Meals/refreshments	90.90	n/a
Photos	22.50	n/a
Miscellaneous	2.00	n/a
TOTAL	$15,000 USD

Posted in Africa News, HIV/AIDS | no comments

The following is an update from Living Hope Community Centre near Cape Town, South Africa, which is ministering to those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Living Hope’s HIV/AIDS Prevention program continues to grow!

Capricorn location:
The after school program in Capricorn, one of the most depressed areas in Cape Town, has a new offshoot in what is an even worse settlement, called Overcome Heights. Since February, many children have been part of a new Living Hope Club where they learn new skills, hear Bible stories and receive good snacks.

More than 200 children participate daily in the after school club in Overcome Heights. With no building yet to accommodate them, “we work in the sand,” says life skills worker Clinton Losper. The community people also bring mats for them to use. Children in these communities are at great risk because of gangs and drugs. “We want to give them hope for life,” Clinton says.

Ocean View location:
In Mountain View, neighbor to Ocean View, Juliana Grodes leads another new Living Hope Children’s Club. Started with 20 children nine months ago, there are now more than 120 children involved! Although Juliana studied community development at Wellington College, she did not have much experience in children’s work. However the conditions at Mountain View tugged at her heart. “I felt the call of God to minister in this area,” Juliana says. “It is known as a dangerous place and children are at risk, yet nobody seemed worried about it”.

Now the children are excited about their Wednesday meetings and their mothers have noted the good changes in their children.

Masiphumelele location:
Natalie Toni now supervises an expanding pre-school program in Masiphumelele. Six schools now send their children to Natalie and her team to learn life skills. These include healthy eating, good hygiene, how to write their names, pray before they sleep, and even say, “thank you” and “I am sorry”.

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Many of you may have been following the news of the recent elections in Kenya in January that caused horrific riots, violence, and hundreds of thousands of displaced people. We wanted to share the great news that some funds from Mocha Club have been designated towards the relief of the Kenyan people! Thank you for helping us care for our brothers and sisters in Kenya.

BACKGROUND INFO: WHAT HAPPENED?
This article explains the background on the violence that erupted after the election. The bloodshed exposed tribal resentments that have long festered in Kenya, where Kibaki’s Kikuyu people – the largest group – are accused of turning their dominance of politics and business to the detriment of others. Defeated opposition candidate Raila Odinga and his supporters said the vote was rigged, and Raila Odinga called for nationwide rallies. Raila is a member of the Luo tribe. International observers, representatives from England and the USA indicated irregularities in the election that warranted investigation.

More background info about the riots:
>> Angry exchanges as Kenya MPs meet
>> UN warns Kenya aid need may grow
>> Kenya police used ‘lethal force’
>> Many dead in fresh Kenya unrest
>> Kenya opposition calls off rally

GOOD NEWS! As of February 28th, it was announced that the two parties had come to a peaceful agreement! The new coalition will be headed by President Kibaki, with Raila Odinga in the position of Prime Minister.
>> Kenya rivals agree to share power

WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?
At the peak, there were about 600,000 displaced people in Kenya as a result of all this political unrest. African Leadership, Mocha Club’s parent organization, and Mocha Club have partnered with our national director in Kenya, Benson Mutisya, and several local churches and relief organizations to provide relief in the form of desperately needed food, household products, blankets, transportation, and security fencing for an IDP compound. We have a plan for helping with the continued relief over the next few months, not only for those who have fled their homes but for people trying to remain in the Kibera slum of Nairobi where AL has been working for the last 15 years.

Here are some photos from a distribution of food coupons for over 300 HIV/AIDS victims in Kibera, Kenya who were affected by the post-election violence! The coupons work very well with people in Kibera due to security issues when distributing food items.

See more photos of the relief distribution in Kibera.
And we are going to continue in the relief. Unfortunately, one of the churches we support in Kibera, Emmanuel Presbyterian, was burned, but it is being rebuilt. African Leadership is committed to building a vocational training school and a nursery there as soon as the church has been repaired.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT OTHER MOCHA CLUB PROJECTS?
Unfortunately, what has happened in Kenya has affected other Mocha Club projects…specifically those of you supporting Sudan Regrowth & Orphan Care. The sterile surgical unit in Sudan has been put on HOLD because of what has gone on in Kenya. Because of Sudan’s instability and Kenya’s former stability, all the building supplies came from Kenya. Now, a truck that originally delivered for $10,000 is charging $25,000. It’s Africa’s reality right now. The Boys’ Dormitory is moving forward now! Please pray with us that these projects can successfully continue!

Posted in Africa News, Sudan Regrowth, Orphan Care, HIV/AIDS | no comments