James has asked me to write one every month and I am a bit behind for this next one.)
SCHOOL
September had the kids starting back for their final term of the school year. Strange to think that Sept back in America kids are just starting their school year but here they are finishing the 3rd term. We had some issues before with kids not even attending school though they were sponsored and being sent to school in some of the cases. At least to date, those kids have been more faithful in school attendance so we are hopeful that they all will finish out the school year well.
One of the girls Barbara is writing her grade 7 exams. When kids are in their exam writing years of school ( grades 7, 9 , 12 ) if they do not pass they can not continue on in school. In Barbara’s case she did not pass last year and so we took her out and put her in a better school and she has been going to tutoring all year but it seems that she has some learning disabilities and so we do not know how she will do this time if she will pass. So you can be praying for her.
HEALTH
We have had more sicknesses with some of the kids, various infections often as a result of the living conditions. For several of these kids it is pretty bad, one family in particular does not even have an outdoor pit toilet so they just go somewhere in the yard. They also have issues with rats and bed bugs so those kids in particular have been more sick recently.
Also among many of the kids they are still not taking care of themselves in regard to basic hygiene. I think this will need to be a continual subject that we address with them.
Also sometime next year I plan to have a health/hygiene class with the guardians. Hopefully if they see the need they will encourage their children in this. But if the guardians don’t think its important to buy soap then how will the kids wash themselves.
END of THE YEAR
We have been able to plan out for the rest of the year and the kids will be having their christmas party in mid November after we leave for America, but while Kat is still here, so that should be a fun time again for them.
Next Saturday all the kids will be coming over for lunch and to swim at our house. They are very excited about that!
Last time they came after we took them all for the HIV testing.
FUTURE PLANS
We have been able to identify and add 8 new kids to the program. They will start their school in January but we are including them in our programs, meetings and church attendance for now. We are all very excited about these kids and are looking forward to getting to know them better and help minister to their families.
We have been trying to add younger kids to the program and those from even “needier” situations. So the ages of these kids range from 7-13. We are in the process of matching these children with sponsors right now.
More on this later...
BUILDING
The church building/classrooms have been completed to the level that they are now meeting for church. That is exciting and we hope to visit them for church in the next few weeks.
They still need to complete doors, windows, flooring, etc but the good thing is that once it is useable they have been eager to use it. Kabwata Baptist Church donated their old pews and so they have already been enjoying having a place of their own.
future classroom for tutoring
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