Sponsor's update from Kitwe
01/06/2007
Update from Summer 2007
Dear Sponsor, Dear Friend,
We wish to thank you yet again for your continued generous support. We would further like to share with you the developments that have taken place in SOS Children Zambia since the beginning of 2007.
On July 11, 2007, the Foundation Stone for the third Village was laid by the Zambian Republican President. The third Village is located in Livingstone, in the Southern part of Zambia.
Like every year in June, the Kitwe Children’s Village celebrated the SOS Day on the 22nd June. During the celebration children put up different performances, like singing, drama and poem reciting to entertain the invited guests and every one that was in attendance. Besides the celebration, an Open Day was also organised; this involved taking round all the invited guests to all the facilities and explaining to them the operations of each facility.
In June 2007, the Boys and Girls Brigade Clubs were launched at the Kitwe Village. For SOS Children, the coming in of these child-centered inter-denominational Christian movements was highly welcomed because Christian morals and values are taught through these clubs. The launch was witnessed by the children, mothers and people from the communities. As a measure of continuity for the clubs, the Village Educator was appointed Patron, as well as 2 mothers as captains.
To help children in Kitwe and Lusaka Villages interact, an Inter-Village Ball Game Competition was organized on April 7th 2007. Therefore, the Village children traveled to the Lusaka Village. The day was filled splendour and excitement when pupils from Lusaka and Kitwe schools met for the first Inter-Village Ball Games Competition. The pupils from the two Villages competed in 4 different ball games. During the competition a lot of talent was exhibited by the children involved as the day was filled with so much fun and excitement. This visit was returned on 26th May 2007, by the Lusaka Village Children who also traveled to Kitwe and played games with their friends at the Kitwe Village.
At the SOS school, a lot of developments have taken place; it now has 710 pupils. The end of 2006 results for grade 7 and 9 were very good, most of the Village children passed these exams to proceed to the next grade.
At the SOS Nursery School, a toddlers’ class was introduced this year and there are 5 toddlers at the moment. At the end of last year 17 children graduated to grade 1; altogether there are 90 children attending SOS Nursery School this year. Moreover, the nursery school participated in a Regional Workshop which was hosted by the Lusaka Village Nursery School from 17th January to 26th January on the “Learning through play concept”.
The Family Strengthening Programme has improved the food security for the orphans and vulnerable children and households through the Capacity Building Programme. The beneficiaries have continued receiving maize seed and fertilizer, and a few of them are slowly becoming self reliant. However, the School Support Programme is still on going as more children are getting recruited and being enrolled back into school.
Dear friends and sponsors, the foregoing would not have been possible without your generous support. We do appreciate your continued support and hope we can continue working together to make a difference in the lives of the orphans and vulnerable children.
Warm regards
Florence F. Phiri Moses Mapani
National Director Acting Village Director
Child sponsorship update from Lusaka
Update from June 2007
Dear Sponsor, Dear Friend,
We wish to thank you yet again for your continued generous support. We would further like to share with you the developments that have taken place in SOS Children Zambia since the beginning of 2007.
On July 11, 2007, the Foundation Stone for the third Village was laid by the Zambian Republican president. The third Village is located in Livingstone, in the Southern part of Zambia.
Like every year in June, the Lusaka Children’s Village celebrated the SOS Day on the 22nd June. During the celebration, awards were given to deserving children in various areas such as cleanness, good behaviour, improvement in academic performance and other valued qualities. Children also put up different performances, like singing, drama and poem reciting.
Four (4) youths finished their ‘O’ levels last year and are waiting to get into College next year 2007. One of the 4 has enrolled for Accounts, the other one has applied to the Zambian University to study Natural Sciences while the other one wants to do an Engineering Course. The 4th one has enrolled at the SOS Vocational Training Centre doing Catering and Food Production.
Moreover, 3 more youths Musonda (girl), Paul and Ezekiel (that is, 1 girl and 2 boys) have joined the other 9 at the SOS International College in Ghana. In total the Lusaka Children’s Village now has 12 youths studying in Ghana.
To help children in Kitwe and Lusaka Villages interact, an Inter-Village Ball Game competition was organized on April 7th 2007. The day was filled splendour and excitement when pupils from Lusaka and Kitwe SOS Schools met for the first Inter-Village Ball Games Competition. The pupils from the two Villages competed in four different ball games. During the competition a lot of talent was exhibited by the children involved as the day was filled with so much fun and excitement.
A youth camp was held this year from the 16th to 21st of April, 2006. All the youths from the Village attended the Camp. It was a refreshing time for the youths as the whole event was tailored to discuss issues and challenges being faced by youths. Among the topics discussed at the camp were, career guidance, realistic goal setting in life, choice making, boy-girl relationships, Godliness, HIV/AIDS, self image, budgeting and entrepreneurship skills.
In March 2007, the youngest child in the Village Mulela Mudenda celebrated her first birthday. A birthday party was held for her and all her brothers and sisters sung for her, and baby songs were also played to which she danced. It was such a happy day for Mulela as she was also smeared with the cream from her birthday cake which she ate until she got tired and could not eat anymore. It was a memorable day for Baby Mulela and her family.
On 2nd February, there was a 4th SOS Mothers’ Graduation Ceremony for nine SOS Mothers who had successfully completed a two-year Mothers’ Training Programme in different courses. It was a colourful event, as young children entertained the guests with songs and dances. The graduates received presents from fellow Mothers and relatives as certificates were being presented. It was a joyous day for children and Mothers in the Village.
At the SOS Nursery School 29 children graduated to grade 1 and there are 96 children attending the nursery school. Moreover, the nursery school hosted a Regional Workshop from 17th January to 26th January on the “Learning through play concept”.
This year the Vocational Training Centre has 205 youths training in different skills i.e. Carpentry, Mechanical & electronics, Hotel & Catering and Design & Tailoring. The beneficiaries are very committed and doing very well in their studies.
Dear friends and sponsors, the foregoing would not have been possible without your generous support. We do appreciate your continued support and hope we can continue working together to make a difference in the lives of the orphans and vulnerable children.
Warm regards
Florence F. Phiri Smaiton Sichande
National Director Village Director
Relevant Countries: Zambia.