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.
- 16 countries have started the mentoring programme so far and have recorded over 16,400 calls with over 5,300 families.
- The calls are already impacting 19,000 children whose families are taking part.
- 7 more countries are preparing to run the programme.
- 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 (it is updated monthly):
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 health supplies to nearly 13,000 families. There are plans to support at least a further 512 families and we would love to do more. We continue to seek funding to support partner networks with their food relief.
3. Follow-up Covid-19 Response Programme
We are now developing a new Covid-response programme which will be split into two streams. One will extend the phone-mentoring programme following its recent success and will address the identified needs which require more in-depth support. The other will focus on education, helping to support children to ensure they do not miss out on vital education, to reduce any further impacts Covid-19 could have on their futures.
Updates from the UK
Doorsteps, Oxford:
Prayer: The restarting of the youth groups –for the young people to feel able to engage with another round of Zoom sessions again, and for the youth teams to be able to facilitate enough face to face youth work for the work to be meaningful.
Recruitment for our Find Your Fire project!
Praise God for the finalisation and signing off of the Covid-19 Secure Paperwork!
The first, and future, networking/training events for Oxon Early Years. It would be wonderful to have as many church-run stay & plays involved as possible.
Updates from Asia
Nepal – The Food relief program went well and beyond our expectations. Despite all the challenges – including approval from the government and the procurement process with four days of continuous rainfall during the shipment, storing and distribution – the program brought a lot of blessings: a total number of 302 families received provision.
70 of these families were from the Phone mentoring programme (which has a total of 232 families participating).
57 non-Christian families whose doors have been opened for the gospel. 245 Christian families.
15 partner network churches involved and 5 non-partner network churches.
3 Christian orgs involved in relief. For example the LBC (Living Baptist Church) provided free storage space volunteers.
Shipment date from vendor to LBC, 23 – 24 Sept. Distribution 24 – 25 (from the LBC to respective churches, partner networks as per Mentors).
Hong Kong – The focus of the month was delivering two child safeguarding workshops.
The achievement was delivering a one-day child safeguarding workshop in Chinese for CEDAR Fund. The content was newly updated based on the new child maltreatment handling guideline issued by the Social Welfare Department recently.
Updates from India
Viva Delhi Partner Network
The first batch of Phone mentoring program in Delhi Network is coming to an end. 7 mentors have mentored 122 families. The partner network is starting a fresh batch with 9 mentors who will be mentoring a total of 90 families.
Prayer: Partner network is searching for new partners for this program. Pray that network will succeed in their efforts.
Shine Partner Network Hyderabad
8 mentors of shine partner network have completed mentoring with 80 families under the Phone mentoring program.
Partner network has started new batch of 11 mentors who aim to mentor 130 families.
Partner network is supporting a non-formal community education centre by sending volunteers to teach children from poor families who cannot access online education.
Prayer: Please pray for the security and safety of children who come to the education Centre.
Viva Shillong Partner Network
The first round of mentoring with 13 mentors and 132 families is near completion.
Partner network has commissioned 7 new mentors.
It is also discussing possible partnership with SCMI- an organization working with University Students. If this partnership is reached then the partner network will be able to mentoring with more families in Shillong as well as the in the border areas of Assam State.
Prayer: Pray that the network’s partnership effort will succeed.
Viva Children at Risk Partner Network, Patna
The first round of mentoring with 235 families is complete. The second round of training is also going on.
Partner network has distributed dry rations to 13 rag picking families.
Prayer: Pray for the safety of the partner network coordination team as they venture out for relief distribution.
Asha Forum, Bangalore
12 mentors of Asha Forum Bangalore are nearly completing their training with the families they are mentoring in their phone mentoring program. They have added two new mentors who are in middle of the mentoring program.
Their flourish program with 27 adolescent workers is continuing.
Prayer: Please pray for one of the mentors of Asha Forum, Rev. Paul Raj, who is the President of all Presbytery Churches in Bangalore. They have lost all their funding because of amendment in rules. Due to this the workers are suddenly in deep crisis. Please pray for that God will provide for them.
Please pray for another mentor Diwakar who runs a home for 87 children. Due to heavy rains this year his shelter has suffered damages. The sheet roof is broken and he is finding it difficult to house these children. Please pray for him and also for the partner network efforts to raise some help for Diwakar and the children.
Johar Children at Risk Partner Network, Ranchi
Phone Mentoring Program- Johar Children Network, Ranchi is continuing phone in two batches mentoring. They have 14 mentors in the first batch and 15 mentors in the second batch. The first batch will soon complete the program as they will be doing closing calls, whereas the second batch will be doing 4th theme.
Prayer: Majority of mentors are mission workers and pastors. These people are facing financial crisis due to the pandemic. They have requested for prayer so that God will provide for them.
Please also pray that these mentors will be able to finish the program well.
Viva Himalaya Network, Dehradun
Phone Mentoring Introduction Program was conducted for 12 ministry partners in Dehradun. The participants were excited about the program and are likely to join the phone mentoring program. The follow up work is being done with them. Most likely, the training of mentors will take place next week.
Prayer: Please pray for Ameeta Bahadur and the success of the Phone Mentoring Program in Dehradun.
Viva Pune Network
Ms Alisha Silas Dongardive, Exploration Coordinator is now learning about Viva Programs and networking tips.
Prayer: Please pray for Alisha that God will use her for Viva work.
Updates from Africa
CRANE – Uganda
- Education team designing literacy and numeracy resources for the learners
- 265 project beneficiaries from 9 partners were equipped with skills and knowledge managing loans, motivating them to save and reinvest, VSLA methodological principles, best practices and operational procedures.
- 18 partners under the PEER were supported to set up livelihood development skills programs to empowered children and youth with practical skills and life skills for them to be able to meet the challenges of everyday life.
- Peer kids sharing their learning journeys through sport, play and reading
Prayer: Churches have been allowed to open up with 70 people and schools will open in 2 weeks’ time for candidate classes. We pray for compliance to the SOPs so that all these places remain safe and for provision for parents
Children have not yet been allowed to go to church. Pray for wisdom for the parents and Sunday School teachers to creatively engage them in this season.
MCAN – Tanzania
- 3 organisations visited purposely to make follow -up on the progress of phone mentoring programme. 50 families were reached and 6 topics covered.
- Preparations for the good treatment campaign
- Shared QIS (People care) standards with partner network members and we continue to do so.
- Attended webinars on people care as hosted by CRANE and Viva Africa team
Prayer: Please pray for our children, that God gives them protection during the time of general elections starting October
Please pray for Solidarity among our partner network members particularly working groups.
VNZ – Zimbabwe
New Life project – Schools opened and children in 5 learning centres are currently back to school.
Access to Justice – Follow-ups on birth registrations with CCWs have continued to be done and 25 birth certificates were collected.
Education Support – Children from 5 learning centres are back to school. An audit of the numbers which managed to come back are yet to be done.
Child and Family Mentorship Project – 10 mentors are working with 100 children. All the mentors are in the process of doing their last call and participation has been very high.
Covid-19 Response – One borehole was drilled in Ruwa in partnership with the community and the Ruwa Council. Installation of the borehole will soon start. While 2 boreholes were supposed to be drilled, the partner network ended up drilling one because the water for the first borehole was found at a much deeper depth than had been estimated.
Pavement Project – 43 children were provided with counselling in the past 2 weeks. An invitation from a local institution which works with children was received and 10 counsellors will provide counselling to over 20 children there.
Prayer: The killing of children for ritual purposes has become a continuous story in newspapers and we want more organisations and churched to be equipped and stand firm in fighting this.
Water has continued to be a challenge for urban families in Harare resulting in some of them having water from shallow unprotected wells. We need more water sources as well as positive action from government in ensuring people have potable water.
VNZ has resumed her Access to Justice Project activities and we need more children to quickly acquire birth certificates in a safe environment.
Covid-19 restrictions were further relaxed and more people are on the street and we need the protection of children from Covid-19.
Schools opened this week and we need the protection of children from Covid-19 and wisdom.
Drilling boreholes will start next week and we need sufficient water for the children and community
CONNECT – South Africa
- Connect is continuing to deliver online QIS training to its members. Mentoring will soon start for some members.
- Viva is supporting food distribution to families in critical need in the Lower Crossroads area who have been made homeless as a result of flooding.
Prayer: Please pray for strength and perseverance especially for the grieving families as Covid-19 related deaths rise to over sixteen thousand people.
We also thank God for the recoveries and pray for more protection and courage especially for the health workers.
Zambia – SCAR
- Radio programme on ‘ Protecting children together during Covid 19
- Undertaking mapping exercise led by SCAR platform leaders
Prayer: Pray for the new Tehila counselling programme and that children will be healed.
Schools have reopened in Zambia for all learners, pray for protection.
Pray for our SCAR partner network members to take ownership of SCAR programmes.
Right now there’s a debate here in Zambia on the subject of the introduction of comprehensive sex education in schools. Pray for God’s wisdom as Tehila contributes to this debate.
Updates from Latin America:
Bolivia
- Launching a new diploma to help strengthening churches and organisations using QIS materials as well as resources from other organisations such as Tearfund
- Launching Viva phone mentoring programme
- Applied for further funding to support more food relief
- Preparing to run the Good Treatment Campaign
Prayer: Pray for safety for partner network staff
Pray for more opportunities to work with new children despite schools being closed
Praise God for the young leaders supporting the partner network activities with other children and young people
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.