Global Updates
Achievements:
- 19 partner networks submitted proposals and are preparing Christmas parties
- Some partner networks continuing Good Treatment Campaign
- Good progress in phase 2 of covid response with input from all regions
- Over 40,000 phone mentoring calls logged
- Recruited new systems developer to develop online platform
Challenges:
- Typhoon in the Philippines and Hurricanes affecting Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador
- Continuing challenges relating to covid-19 meaning activities continuing to be adapted
- Loss of Devesh, key staff member and good friend to all
- Ongoing outworking of team roles in UK
- India networks postponed GTC to next year
- Uganda challenges surrounding presidential election
Things to look out for:
- Network Development Systems Developer will join the team on 7 December
- NHC partner network inputs to be submitted by end of December
- Refining strategic plan and quarterly breakdowns hoping to be completed by end of December
Updates from the UK
Doorsteps, Oxford:
- We have managed to continue delivering youth work despite the changing Covid guidelines and have also shared our Zoom learning and documentation with many other practitioners.
- Hannah and Ben were able to get back into school in November (having been asking since August!) and have been asked to support some Year 8s and some Year 11s.
- Charlotte has been amazed at the response to 2 new initiatives: launching and coordinating a county-wide Early Years network including 2 well attended Zoom get-togethers; and getting more than 20 Oxford churches together to pray into how to reach vulnerable families more effectively together.
Prayer: There’s been real Covid spike recently in East Oxford schools. Please pray for children, young people and families’ Christmases, especially for those worried about Covid or about finances.
Please pray for teachers, head teachers and all school staff to have a chance to recover their strength over the Christmas break.
Praise God for the encouragement and support of partners/teams to work with’: Hannah and her team of youth workers; and ‘co-conspirators’ for Charlotte: Rachel in gathering Oxford churches; and Home Start CEO Katharine on the EY network.
Updates from Asia
Nepal
- Completion of Phone Mentoring and excellent impact reports of individuals showing how useful it has been in helping to support the community through this time.
- Sorting out reports for various funding partners.
- Working on Christmas party proposals and NHC prep.
Prayer: Pray that the partner network would be successful in fundraising for a number of projects and that its core staff can be retained to ensure that the partner network is growing and developing.
Myanmar – Children’s Development Family Partner Network Myanmar
- Food relief for 500 children on a monthly basis is ongoing as the orphanages are in severe financial hardship.
- The Song Kids Annual Party was held with over 3,000 children attending at Full Moon Home. A great way to celebrate and protect some of the most vulnerable.
Prayer Request: The continued wellbeing of the 500 children in the partner network orphanages who are struggling financially and for basic necessities.
Cambodia – Peace Team Cambodia
- GTC successfully initiated and continuing to impact many adults and children.
- QIS training for 20 partners.
- Some great set up work for Christmas Parties.
Prayer Request: Pray especially regarding child trafficking. The area has seen a significant rise in the trafficking of children as families are hit by significant economic hardship as a result of Covid-19.
Philippines – Philippines Children’s Ministries Network (PCMN)
- It was their 22 Anniversary this last month.
- Planning for Christmas parties and NHC for the partner networks.
- Continuation of the Phone Mentoring especially in Iligan which is doing a big project.
Prayer Request: The continuing work in the wake of two typhoons that hit Luzon. There is significant damage and the partner network is trying to come up with funding to do Trauma first aid for children helping to support their mental wellbeing after suffering and seeing such devastating loss.
Updates from India
Viva Delhi Partner Network
- New mentors added to the Phone Mentoring Programme
- Completion of NTC by two coordinator – Preeti and Manoj.
- Christmas Party Planned in Delhi
Prayer: Pray for Preeti’s father, who is currently admitted in the ICU. He had a severe asthma attack and has low haemoglobin
Shine Partner Network Hyderabad
- New mentors added to the Phone Mentoring Programme
- Completion of NTC by coordinator Vincent.
- Christmas Party planned in Hyderabad
Prayer: Pray for the successful completion of the phone mentoring programme and the Christmas party
Viva Shillong Partner Network
- The Phone Mentoring Programme is underway
- Completion of NTC by coordinator Wanz.
- Christmas Party planned in Shillong
Prayer: Pray for more mentors to join the Shillong phone mentoring programme
Viva Children at Risk Partner Network, Patna
The mentoring programme is nearing completion
Prayer: Pray for Devesh’s family as they grieve his loss
Pray for healing and recovery of Nupur from Covid – Devesh’s wife
Pray for healing and recovery of Mukund from sickness
Asha Forum, Bangalore
- The mentoring programme is nearing completion
- Completion of NTC by coordinator Santa.
- Christmas Party planned in Bangalore
Prayer: Pray for a successful and safe Christmas party in Bangalore
Johar Children at Risk Partner Network, Ranchi
- The Phone Mentoring Programme is nearing completion
- Completion of NTC by coordinator Premchand.
- Christmas Party planned in Ranchi
Prayer: Praise God for the healing and recovery of Premchand’s wife, Angelina, after a couple of surgeries.
Viva Himalaya Partner Network, Dehradun
- Start of Phone mentoring programme
- Completion of the NTC by the Coordinator Ameeta
- Healthy relationship between KHW-Global Care and Viva India in promoting Dehradun partner network activities.
Prayer: Pray for Ameeta, the new partner network coordinator, to complete the Phone mentoring programme
Emerging Network: Pune Partner Network
- Start of Phone mentoring programme
- Completion of NTC by the Coordinator Alisha
- First Christmas Party planned in Pune.
Prayer: Pray for Alisha, the new partner network coordinator, to complete the Phone mentoring programme and for the Christmas Party
Updates from Africa
CRANE – Uganda
- Training of District Education Officers and School Inspectors in QIS Governance and Child Protection Standards
- Safeguarding training for Child Protection Committees
- 68 teachers were engaged in a two-day teacher training
Prayer: Peace and safety throughout the presidential elections
Pray for the team doing safeguarding trainings with Child Protection Committees
Pray for the team as it concludes preparations for Christmas parties scheduled for next week.
MCAN – Tanzania
- Held fundraising meetings to discuss various proposals and how to raise funds for the partner network to ensure its sustainability.
- Good treatment campaign
- Christmas party preparations
Prayer: Pray for commitment of members as we carry out the Good Treatment Campaign
Pray for the forthcoming Christmas parties
Pray for our Action groups to keep active and engaged in the partner network activities
VNZ – Zimbabwe
- Held a key meeting with all child protection partners in Harare for the benefit of children accessing help through our access to justice project.
- Passed on key Child protection COVID’19 response messages to over 6,000 children in 4 schools.
- Collected 25 birth certificates which were registered in November with the partner network’s support.
Prayer: Pray for good weather as the new season of farming begins.
Pray for the team as they prepare for their Christmas parties
Pray for the safety of all school going children amidst this pandemic
CONNECT – South Africa
- Food distribution continues through the members to hundreds of children
- Online Child Protection QIS training has happened
Prayer: For Grace as she steers the partner network to focussing more on children outcome.
For Michelle as she prepares for online IS Child Wellbeing.
Zambia – SCAR
- The Good Treatment Campaign week
- Radio talk shows to discuss how to protect children amidst COVID-19
Prayer: The team is currently working on their strategic plan. Please pray for them as they go through the process of planning for the next 3 years
Updates from Latin America:
Argentina -Red Viva Argentina
- The leadership of people from different regions such as Chaco Argentino, Corrientes and Buenos Aires has been strengthened
- The partner network has been trained in the telephone mentoring program, 4 people from the partner network’s leadership. It is intended to run the program from the first three months of 2021
- An induction has been made to the Protects program, the protection policies and the certification process for the churches.
Pray For:
Let’s pray for the marriage of Laura Espínola and Roberto Gómez, who have assumed national leadership as protection officers. They are a missionary couple, Doctors with a lot of experience working in areas of high vulnerability.
Pray that the churches in the partner networks in Argentina will join the Mentoring and Protection programs, which can be a great blessing to the churches according to the local internal analysis carried out.
Pray for the harsh economic crisis that the country is experiencing as a government and its inhabitants, a situation exacerbated by the pandemic
Brazil -Red Viva Protégé
- Complete of the NTC material translation process, Network Training Course
- Completion of the translation process of the Protección Protege program
- Management of exchange of experience between the partner network of Honduras and the partner network associated with Viva Maos Dadas, about the program “With Transparency we win all and all”
Pray For:
Pray for the national coordinators Andrea and Cesar. They are mobilizing to promote the vision of Viva to various churches, professional people to join the partner network.
Pray for Andrea’s mother who is hospitalized for a kidney stone. It has already been operated and is in the process of recovery.
Let us thank God for the materials translated into native Portuguese, and pray for the great challenge that will begin in Brazil with the first trainings for new and possible members of the protection partner network, in their own language.
Colombia – Red Viva Colombia
- GTC running online version reaching 37 children via Zoom
- 67 children received training to talk about prevention of violence and abuse
Pray For: Pray for the partner network leaders who are gathering pastors to work on planning for 2021
Costa Rica -Red Viva Costa Rica
- GTC running online version reaching 103 children via Zoom
- 67 leaders and pastors participated in 2 days with Annual Meeting Conference- Online version- called “Good is under control”- specialised from USA and Costa Rica trained in Why, How and What we need to respond in Collaborative Action in this time, using the Community Centre strategy to join churches. After Conference 17 leaders stablished the 5 Action Groups of Community Centre to support as partner network team volunteers
- Visit Guanacaste-cost and border with Nicaragua join 27 churches exploring option of partner network to work with immigrant population
Pray For: Pray for Community Centre plans of each 5 Action Groups
Pray for immigrant population in border area of Guanacaste affected with floods by hurricane
Pray for health protection of leaders, the churches are open with 300 attendances during churches services
Cuba -Red Viva TREY
- The partner network is in planning and will change the partner network coordinator (Mabel will go to live to Canada) and the new one will be Elin Miranda with a partner network coordinator team. They are doing a very good transition.
- They are preparing for the Christmas parties promoting with the churches in different cities.
- The partner network is working on the plan for training for the volunteers of the net on NTC.
- They continue giving support to the members of the churches of the partner network in spiritual and emotional areas. They are following the mentoring program.
Pray For: Pray for transition and the new partner network coordinator and her coordination team.
Dominican Republic – Red VINAD
- Open a new partner network with One Child ONG in Santo Domingo, December 14 will sign the agreement, (was revised).
- Training about the VIVA’s vision and model with the new partner network coordinator of the new partner network called (One Child Red Viva)
- First draft for the plan for next 4 months
- The red VINAD is preparing for the NHC and next year plan
Pray For: For our relationship with One Child (it is new model to open new partner networks)
El Salvador – Red Viva El Salvador
- The partner network supported 134 food deliveries to families affected by the Covid-19 situation, in the Santa Ana, where 60 churches are working together to support the community, part of the Central America Relief project.
- The partner network is supporting children from pandemic and hurricane needs with supplies for studies and games, part of the resilience support
- The partner network involved 13 churches more to be part of the partner network and bring support with families and protection projects.
Pray For: Pray for health protection of partner network leaders who are making distribution of food in communities
Pray for planning meetings with leaders in San Salvador and Santa Ana
Pray for team of volunteers, they are making visits in families who living in extreme poverty to get stories in photos and videos. Pray for safe and health protection.
Guatemala -Red Viva Guatemala
- 216 families receiving food bags trough Central America Relief project
- Consultation with 40 churches to evaluate the issue of birth registration, finding an average of 15 to 20 unnamed children per Church- that means an average of 7800 children in all partner networks members
- Updating agreement with Government about Birth Register for next 3 years
Pray For: Pray for health protection of partner network leaders who are making distribution of food in communities
Pray for funds, the Government have trust in partner network to implement I Exist register- the country is considering 70% of children born during the pandemic without formal name registration
Honduras – Red Viva Honduras
- 217 families receiving food bags trough Central America Relief project
- Support campaign in the midst of natural disasters, where we deliver donations of toys and educational material for shelters in Tegucigalpa and northern Honduras
- A campaign to collect aid for people affected by hurricanes (ETA & IOTA) and covid-19 was carried out
Pray For: Pray for health protection of partner network leaders who are making distribution of food in communities
Pray for: Honduras, an estimated 3 million people are directly affected by the devastation of the hurricane.
Pray for church leaders who are supporting in shelters on issues of child protection and who do not experience abuse by being exposed in places of refuge mixed with adults
Mexico – Red Viva Mexico
- 96 families receiving support in Community Centre about Basic needs and Resilience
- 43 churches leader´s members of the partner network participate of Child Protection Training to create awareness
- GTC running with online session and bringing table games in food bags to promote good family’s environment
Pray For: Pray for health protection of partner network leaders who are making distribution of food in communities
Pray for child protection training of leaders in new communities to involve more churches in the partner network- city of Juchitan
Pray for team leaders, involving new administration and psychologic people to support programs running.
Nicaragua – Red Viva Nicaragua
- Partner network strengthening project working with 45 churches leaders around Protection and 30 youth leaders participated in Celebrating Children course
- Partner network is supporting 130 families with package of food, families affected by hurricane ETA and IOTA.
- The board is working with team in all legal requirements and audits for Government and donors of Viva Denmark.
Pray For: Pray for the family and leaders of the partner network, because the young Osmany González, our leader for the work for childhood and youth passed away, please pray in this difficult moment we accompany her parents Manuel Gonzales and Milagro Palacio for the sensitive loss of their daughter
Pray for the partner network strengthening project working with 45 churches leaders around Protection
Pray for families affected by hurricane ETA and IOTA.
Paraguay – Red Viva Paraguay
- Lead participation of partner network representatives in updating the National Plan for Children and Adolescents 2020 – 2025
- Red Viva Paraguay is assuming a role as a peacemaker between civil society organizations, the government and conservative evangelical organizations that with little knowledge of processes and work in pursuit of the rights of children and adolescents are mobilizing actions that could give a great setback in the well-being and comprehensive protection of girls, boys and adolescents in the country.
- The coordination of the partner network has achieved agreements with two companies that will be providing donations in kind for dining rooms and community centers that are members of Red Viva Paraguay.
Pray For: Mainly because of the burning situation that exists today in a context of struggle between sectors of the church and the government and civil society. Let us pray that God can give wisdom to the representatives of the churches and that they are open to dialogue without violent expressions, that they help to reach better agreements for the good of the children and adolescents of this country.
Gratitude to God for the agreements made with two companies to benefit cafeterias that are members of the partner network. Let us pray that this type of agreement can be extended with other companies and generate a segment of companies that are friends of Red Viva. This would greatly help the sustainability of the partner network.
Let us pray for the Ñemby partner network, for the continuous strengthening of ties with the members, and for the partner network in Caaguazú, that more pastors continue to join the vision of comprehensively protecting girls, boys and adolescents online. they attend churches or are part of the Church community.
Venezuela – RENACSENIV
- It has managed to get a new church member of the partner network to commit to work focused on children, taking the coordination of the Christmas parties this 2020.
- He has held a series of conferences on protection and prevention of violence and abuse towards children and adolescents, aimed at Churches of the national evangelical coalition, in total there were 6 meetings one per week
- It has been possible to raise a great interest from churches from different sectors of the country on the issue of protection, protection policies, intervention routes and knowledge of national laws and policies in the framework of the rights of girls, boys and adolescents.
Pray For: Let us pray for the anti-right national context, the authoritarian regime has once again won the elections, totally managed, by the way, and will remain in power for another 4, 5 years if a miracle does not happen. Venezuela urgently needs a change of government, which stops continuing to bring its country down and down economically and socially.
Let us pray for wisdom for the RENACSENIV coordination team so that they always act with sanity, without ceasing to defend and protect children and adolescents in vulnerability, increasingly broad. The Government persecutes any NGO or organization that shows its work and at the same time reflects the deficiencies of the government. Deficiencies abound and you have to be very strategic in how you communicate the impact of the partner network’s actions.
Pray for a 2021 where the Venezuelan partner network can strengthen and create new links and financing, in this way to be able to attend a little more to the enormous needs of the families and children of their country.
Emerging Partner Network: Peru – RENACSENIPEM
- The new partner network in Peru has been organized in time to carry out actions for the benefit of vulnerable children in the framework of the Christmas holidays
- The partner network has obtained the support of a charitable organization in the donation of toys and food for sectors of families in extreme poverty
- The partner network plans the actions of the Christmas holidays in three areas, attendance, Evangelism and discipleship, that is, it will have a follow-up with the churches.
Pray For: Pray for coordinators Isabel and Alexis, who are dedicating themselves with great passion in shaping and strengthening their coordination team
Pray for the actions of Viva Navidad, which will include taking to the streets to deliver donations. On the other hand, online evangelism and later discipleship will be carried out by the churches.
Pray for leadership in the Lima, Chiclayo and Chimbote areas. For now, a single partner network but with planning to segment the partner networks by geographical areas.
Bolivia
- Preparing for Christmas parties in La Paz and Norte Potosi
- Continuing mentoring with children
- Considering how to ensure they can continue to work with children outside of the partner network during covid-19
Pray For: Christmas Party preparation and that children’s hearts will feel something special this Christmas.
For safety and provision through the Covid-19 Pandemic – in Bolivia it seems that the covid-19 contagion curve will reach its peak in March 2021. People no longer believe in the public health system and prefer to cure themselves at home with herbs and natural things. People are no longer using any Covid-19 protection measures and many have been made to believe that COVID does not exist. We are in a very uncertain time and we can only trust God and hold onto his hand through this. Please pray for our work in the midst of this.
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.