Global Updates
1. Phone Mentoring
Viva’s new Phone Mentoring programme is being set up in 25 of our partner networks. This phone mentoring programme is designed to ensure people have trustworthy information on COVID-19, reduce domestic violence, improve family relationships and improve home learning. It is useful in lockdown and also in supporting children and families through the transition from lockdown. In many places where schools remain closed, the programme can be used to help schools and churches to keep in contact with struggling families.
- 15 partner networks and organisations linked to Embrace the Middle East in 13 countries have started the mentoring have recorded over 6,000 calls with over 1,926 families.
- The calls are already impacting 6,056 children whose families are taking part
- 13 more partner networks are preparing to run the programme in 10 more countries
- Overall we expect to train 650 mentors and mentor 6,800 families (1 adult and 1 child directly) benefitting over 17,000 children
- Here is some of the information from the calls so far
2. Food Relief
Since the start of the pandemic, 27 partner networks in 19 countries have responded to the crisis by distributing food relief and emergency heath supplies to nearly 13,000 families. There are plans to support at least a further 512 families, and would love to do more. We continue to seek funding to support networks with their food relief.
Updates from the UK
Doorsteps, Oxford:
- Hannah had a good break and has been in touch with schools, including (Praise God!) being able to touch base with ‘old’ young people over A Level and GCSE results, but there is still uncertainty as to what next term will look like – please do pray for young people and the transition back to school in September after so long away; and for Hannah trying to plan effectively when so much is unknown!
- We’re delighted Lucy has chosen to do part of her Masters on Find Your Fire: A Theological Reflection on Viva’s UK based resilience building work with young people.
- Charlotte had 2 really positive meetings: one with our FYF funder, and another regarding coordinating Early Years (0-5) provision across Oxfordshire.
- We have also been offering Zoom training to other providers, including locally but also as far afield as Viva networks in Africa and Asia!
Prayer:
It was encouraging to hear back from Spires (school) re youth work next term, no details as yet but initial contact encouraging. Please pray for Hannah to be able to get back into schools to support young people, and for the right young people to be referred onto this coming year’s Find Your Fire, the ones who FYF will really make a difference for.
Pray for Lucy’s Resilience project and the Find Your Fire youth workers and young people she’ll be interviewing.
Please pray for real impact Early Years wise, that groups would feel supported, connected and inspired to reach out to struggling families with young children. Praise God for the real difference church-run toddler / mums & baby groups make to parents, especially those who don’t have good support networks.
Please pray for Hannah’s wrists which have been playing up meaning typing is hard & knitting not allowed.
Updates from India
Viva Delhi Partner Network
Delhi partner network is doing phone mentoring program in partnership with 5 organizations. They have at present 7 mentors mentoring 122 families. One new organization is likely to join the program and they will be mentoring 150 families.
Partner network has done Child Protection Policy training for 34 participants from different organizations.
Partner network is in talk with the Delhi Child Protection Unit (DCPU) to start flourish session in 4 boy’s homes from the month of September.
Prayer: Prayer solicited for the negotiations with DCPU so that flourish program can be started.
Shine Partner Network Hyderabad
Shine partner network have 8 mentors and are presently mentoring 80 families under the phone mentoring program.
Partner network partnered with Krupa Community Development Organization and ran covid awareness program in a slum.
Prayer: Covid cases are still rising in Hyderabad; pray that the spread of the virus is halted.
Children in the city are suffering as the schools are closed and they are not able to study.
Viva Shillong Partner Network
Viva Shillong Network is also running Phone Mentoring Program. Presently they have 13 mentors who are mentoring 64 families. They are likely to add 3 new mentors. Partner network is also planning to do second round of training by adding new group of mentors.
Prayer: Pray that the network’s plan to start second round of the Phone Mentoring Program will succeed and they will be able to get suitable mentors to carry on the program.
Viva Children at Risk Partner Network, Patna
In their Phone Mentoring Program, Viva Network Patna has 32 mentors. Altogether these mentors are mentoring 235 families. Partner network is likely to enter into partnership with a Church partner network to start another round of training.
Poor people in the city like Rickshaw puller, roadside vendors and those doing menial jobs are seen without masks. Partner network has arranged to do a free mask distribution program for 2000 such needy people.
Prayer: Partner network wants to praise God as its Coordinator Mukund was very sick, but has now recovered. Partner network solicits prayers for flood victims as they continue to suffer. Please pray that God will prevent post flood epidemics.
Asha Forum, Bangalore
Asha Forum Bangalore has 12 mentors in their phone mentoring program. They are mentoring 205 families.
Partner network is also running Flourish program for adolescent girls.
Coordination team is hopeful that they will be able to start distributing grocery to needy children who are part of the phone mentoring program.
Prayer: Pray for health of Santa and her husband as they are facing health challenges.
Johar Children at Risk Partner Network, Ranchi
Phone Mentoring Program-Johar Children Network, Ranchi is running phone mentoring program for 356 families. They have 27 mentors and are likely to add two new mentors to their team.
Partner network is organizing zoom prayer for partner network members to pray for the situation arising out of Covid 19 Pandemic.
Prayer: Please pray for complete recovery of Angelina, wife of partner network Coordinator Premchand who has undergone abdominal surgery.
Viva Himalaya Network, Dehradun
Ameeta Bahadur has joined Viva Himalaya Network. She will be starting Phone Mentoring Program from 1st week of September. Ameeta is not new for Viva as she was working with Dehradun Network in the past.
Prayer: Please pray for Ameeta Bahadur so that she starts working from 1st of September.
Pray that God will bless her with anointing and that she will get due cooperation of the network partners.
Viva Pune Network
Viva India long desired for a partner network in the western part of the country. Finally a breakthrough is in sight. Ms Alisha Silas Dongardive, has agreed to be Exploration Coordinator for Viva Pune Network. She is from ‘Vanitashray’, an NGO working towards educating underprivileged children, empowering and sustaining women, marginalized families and communities on a large scale.
Prayer: Pray that this new initiative of Viva India will be a success paving way for more Viva Networks in India.
Updates from Africa
CRANE – Uganda
- Teachers/caretakers in the Early Childhood Development centres designed lessons for children to ensure that learning continues for them in lockdown.
- Distributed learning resources to child ambassadors in liaison with the partner representatives
- Psychosocial support was provided to the project beneficiaries as groups and to individuals that needed one on one support
- Reviewed and designed more lessons for the HOPE 2020 academy project
- Met with mentors to discuss the work plan and methodology of reaching the children that we work with.
- Phone mentoring program ongoing and is impacting both children and parents
- QIS Financial accountability online training/webinars ongoing.
Prayer: Pray for wisdom and guidance for the mentors that are supporting children and families in this season. May God renew their strength as well.
Pray for church leaders as they respond to various family issues, and as they try to make ends meet for their families and the churches in which they serve.
MCAN – Tanzania
- Follow up meetings on Zoom with 4 partner network mentors to assess the progress of the phone mentoring.
- Completed translation of phone mentoring programme resources and shared those with all mentors taking part in this activity.
- Met with the fundraising team to share strategies of on how to fundraise for the partner network both locally and internationally.
- Participated in the QIS financial accountability webinar hosted by CRANE.
Prayer: Pray for the Steering Group meeting we have this week and the local support we are seeking.
Pray unity, solidarity among our partner network working groups.
VNZ – Zimbabwe
- Virtual monitoring of 250 families doing poultry and 160 doing agriculture under the food security program.
- 2 posters and a directory of services on child protection were designed.
- The partner network received 9 cases of children going through depression. 5 received counselling and cases were closed while counselling is still ongoing for 4.
- Under the access to justice program, 5 children received their birth certificates
- Education Support – 5 Learning Centres (LSC) continue to support children in their learning through making lessons accessible by them. Printers, stationery and cell phones were given to 4 learning centres. All 5 LSC are printing children’s lessons on a weekly basis for children to collect once every week.
- Phone mentoring ongoing. 100 children have been reached so far.
Prayer: Cases of children going through trauma and depression have been high, we pray for more committed hands to do the work as well as for us to have supportive communities for children to be is safe loving communities.
CONNECT – South Africa
- Michelle Kempster is leading QIS child protection module online. Training starts next week
- Pray for Grace, the Coordinator, as she looks at the long term strategy of Connect
- Food security and abuse is a big problem in the townships.
Prayer: Please pray for continued financial provision and protection during this time of Covid.
Zambia – SCAR
- SCAR is running an hour-long Radio Program focusing on child Protection under COVID.
Prayer:
Pray for the Covid situation in Zambia. Cases are increasing and many infections are happening through people attending funerals, weddings, kitchen parties etc. Pray that people will change their ways and adhere to health guidelines.
Continue to pray for the safety of all children and that no child will be left behind in terms of learning. Every child should have access to some kind of learning facility.
Pray for Tehila and SCAR as we come up with new strategies of engagement in this Covid time to ensure that the children at risk are protected
Updates from Latin America:
- The first 2 community centres have opened in Costa Rica and Mexico, with the support of Willow Creek and Vista Hermosa Foundation. They are designed to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic by supporting families who have experienced unemployment, by helping provide for the families in the short-term and working with them in the long-term to find work.
- 673 children promoted good practices for the prevention of violence at home and prayer campaigns. 483 children participated in the ‘# this will end soon’ campaign, bringing hope through the Covid-19 Pandemic.
- More than 15,000 families benefited from the actions of the networks in the region, receiving food, basic health supplies and cleaning.
Prayer: Pray for continued strength for everyone working in the networks to continue their excellent work through these uncertain times.
Bolivia
- Country still in strict quarantine. 3.5 million children missing out on schooling
- 3 staff now recovered after contracting covid-19
- Beginning training mentors to run the phone mentoring programme
- Adapted programme that would be working in schools to help children receive child protection training through Facebook, YouTube and radio messaging – “God used this quarantine time to use new abilities in us that we did not know we had. Now we have different wats to work that we did not have before.”
- Developing new training diploma using some materials from QIS and celebrating children as well as training from other organisations such as Tearfund training on fundraising
- Distribution food relief and sanitation supplies
Prayer: Thank God for recovery of staff who had covid-19 and pray for others affected in the communities.
Please pray for more opportunities to work with children that they would have reached through schools but cannot now support in the same way. Thank God for new opportunities already arising.
Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers for Viva, we are so grateful. As Viva works by leveraging the resources and expertise of local churches and organisations, our model results in a high return on investment. We can do this through your support and prayers, enabling Viva to change more children’s lives, more effectively.