A Hammer and A Heart

Our medical clinic in Arusha, Tanzania is a very well equipped facility with modern equipment including a full lab, X-ray, and ultrasound. We are a model for contemporary medical practice in East Africa. However, even with all of our ability we still regularly deal with situations in which we have to rely on the considerable skill and improvisational ability of Dr. Byemba and his staff. We recently saw a young man who had suffered a head injury eight years ago. The skull grew back improperly, giving him constant headaches and the embarrassment of having a misshapen head. He first came to our New Hope Initiative clinic several months ago desperately seeking help. Dr. Byemba recognized that this was outside the realm of our ability and encouraged the young man to go to the capital of Tanzania to seek a specialist. After spending all of his meager funds in the capital, he was unable to find anyone in the entire country who would help him.

In utter despair he returned to Arusha and begged for Dr. Byemba’s help. Knowing that his tools were inadequate, but possessing a heart of compassion and a confidence in his own skill, Dr. Byemba agreed to perform this complicated procedure. After purchasing a hammer and chisel from a local hardware store, the doctor skillfully and boldly reshaped the young man’s skull in a very complex procedure. Obviously Dr. Byemba prefers to use the most modern tools available, but wherever we lack the latest tools, we more than make up for it with skill, ingenuity, and heart. I am happy to report the young man is doing well. His headaches are greatly diminished and his head is cosmetically improved.

We ask our friends and partners to help us to equip the clinic with the very best tools available to us. It is our prayer that we will find the need to improvise less and less in the future. We currently have four pressing areas where further modernization is needed:

1. A blood analyzer for hormones and biochemistry
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2. A cast cutter to remove the large number of casts we have started doing due to our new X-ray.
3. A portable digital X-ray unit for greater imaging flexibility.
4. A generator capable of running the entire clinic due to the frequent electric outages in Tanzania.

It is this ongoing partnership between our local clinic staff and our western partners that makes the Olorien Community Clinic such a success.

The Teachers of New Hope

When we see improving test scores, smiling faces in pictures, and stories of children passing their 8th grade exam and moving into high school, we must remember the individuals interacting and challenging these students on a daily basis - their teachers. This summer New Hope Initiative tried something new with many of the short-term missions teams that come for a week or two. A few teachers joined a team for dinner each evening, allowing teams to get to know more about the teachers that run our school. We also had teams come to specifically work on professional development with the teachers. After getting to know a few of the teachers, Joshua Zukowski from Detroit Michigan responded, “…what they do is more than a job. They're doing it for so much more than giving the kids an education. They're giving the kids hope. They do what they do every single day because they know that by giving these kids an education they are giving them a fighting chance.” Joshua is not alone in this observation. Another volunteer named Sarah remarked, “EVERY one of the teachers has a heart for students and a deep desire to provide these kids with opportunities that could only be afforded them through education!” Their genuine love for the students drives these teachers to see the children improve their test scores, thereby making the advancement to high school a reality for all who attend New Hope Academy. As a result, many of the teachers come in on Saturdays to give the children an opportunity to learn more than they would if a normal workweek was observed. The teachers also seek to improve themselves professionally in order to better equip their students. This summer a team of teachers from Holland, Michigan spent considerable time working with the teachers. One of the volunteers, Ingrid, observed, “they were engaged and excited about learning new ways to develop participation in their classroom through building relationships with their students…The teaching staff of New Hope Academy, including Headmaster Festus, are incredibly hardworking, dedicated and faithful educators.” The teachers were very receptive to new techniques and many are also trying to further their own education.

We are very thankful for this passionate group of teachers and staff and we ask that you keep them in your prayers. Many of the teachers have long commutes for work, live far away from their families, and are balancing the challenging task of furthering their own education while also working. Pray for their families, security, their commute, professional development, and pray for their work with the students.

Ethiopia Update

Jorgo Academy School is in the village of Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Jorgo is an Oromo name, which means "a large tree giving refuge to those in need." We feel it is a very fitting name for this school and representative of what we are called to do as followers of Jesus Christ. On July 1st New Hope Initiative officially took over the property and the school. Currently, Jorgo Academy serves nursery through sixth grade. We had 80 new students pre-register for the coming year, which will double the enrollment for the upcoming school year.

Since May, the property and facilities underwent some cosmetic changes and additional changes to enhance the property and make it a safe environment for the children. We painted all the buildings and classrooms and renovated the inside bathroom in the preschool area. We have changed the toilets from Turkish (on the floor) to standard sit-down toilets. The whole area is now tiled and we are lowering the sink to a better height for the younger students. We are also making a wash station outside for the kids to use as well.

The open-air cafeteria is currently under construction and should be done this week. Previously, the children did not have a place to eat lunch outside of the classrooms. Since soccer is very important here, we leveled the soccer field for them. At this time, we have two areas for soccer: one for the older kids to use and one for younger. Thanks to donors, we will have a computer lab with five brand new laptop computers and a safe playground with updated playground equipment. Three water tanks, totaling 10,000 liters, have been added so that the children will always have water on the campus.

 A few weeks ago we had an outreach carnival to introduce ourselves to the community and promote the new school.  We had over 500 children and their parents come and enjoy the free games and food. They seem very excited about the changes coming to the school and the American influence running the program.

We are still working on the curriculum and will be holding teacher training in the coming weeks. Lauren Allgood, our Leadership Development Director, will come in August to hold a Leadership Seminar for our teachers and staff.  We are eager to have her come and share her knowledge and expertise. We also have two ladies coming from Alaska to teach full-time at the school and help enhance the English curriculum and programs.

Immediate Needs and Future Projects

Even with all the progress, we still need to purchase desks and chairs, and completely overhaul the outside bathroom for the older kids.  An estimated cost for the desks and chairs for 200 students is $4,500. The bathroom is on the existing "septic tank," but is sinking, and we need to completely demolish it, move it, and rebuild it. The estimated cost for the bathroom is $5,500.

Some future projects include: tiling the outside area of the preschool, pouring concrete for a basketball court, and adding another building for more classrooms as we add grades.

We want to thank you for all your support and prayers for this project. We look forward to continuing our partnership and seeing the Lord work in the lives of these children and their parents.

Education + Community

Far too often we tend to emphasize the differences between those of us who support New Hope Initiative from afar and those we partner with in sub-Saharan Africa. While we recognize a common bond as brothers and sisters in Christ, many of us are separated by an ocean, different cultures, different economic statuses, and in many cases different opportunities. However, my recent experience in Kenya allowed me to truly focus on the similarities, but one in particular stood out.

I had the opportunity to travel with New Hope Primary School Headmaster Festus Muendo to Masinga Boys School, the location of many Penda Project students, including the student I sponsor, Edward.  I was able to talk with Edward for the first time and socialize with many of the other students. We talked about our families, hobbies, challenges, and also our dreams. Later on in the conversation Edward expressed extreme gratitude both for Penda Project’s contribution to his education and even questioned where he would be in life without the support. This is when something struck me about the conversation: Edward was very appreciative for something that many of us in the United States take for granted or simply do not realize. Our education and life in general are not things we embark on alone, even if we think we do.

It is easy for us to think that we earn everything in regards to our education, to our jobs, or our lifestyle. However, if we really look deep, we can see how much of a product we are of the community and people around us. Living in Virginia, I did not need a sponsor to attend one of our public schools, but I cannot deny the assistance I received along the way.

As a person who attended public school, I never worried about missing an opportunity to attend high school. The tax money from fellow citizens and my parents contributed to my education. My parents also provided an environment in which I could learn. Truly, I had to bear responsibility and put in effort myself, but the choice to study hard or slack off was a choice I possessed. Having that choice is something I took for granted and probably still do. Every aspect of my life, even the areas where I’d like to take most credit, can be traced back to some help or assistance along the way. In the end, my high school diploma and my college degree are combinations of individual effort with massive contributions from family, friends, and teachers along the way. In this way, many of us have more in common with Penda Project students than we usually imagine.

I obviously do not know where you or anyone reading this is at in life or know your background. However, I believe that most of you can probably relate in some way - realizing that we go through life with the contributions of others, whether that is in the form of money, time, security, stability, prayer, love, or knowledge. As a Penda Project Sponsor you are able to play a role and contribute to not only someone’s education, but also to someone’s ability to pursue his or her dreams. There are many children in the Program that are currently without sponsors and I encourage you to pray and think about sponsoring one of these children. On the Penda Project website you can find a list of all the students. I encourage everyone to check out the page, look at a few of the names, and pick some students to specifically pray for. God blessed me with the opportunity to meet many of these Penda students and I am grateful for you who help make it all possible. Great things are happening in Kenya.

By Mike Holmes

A New Hope in Ethiopia

We are excited to announce that New Hope Initiative is expanding it's ministry into a brand new country as we partner with Dwayne and Tammy Wright to open a new school project in Ethiopia. We are so happy to be moving into this new region and we are thrilled to begin this new partnership with incredibly effective leadership in Ethiopia. Please click on the link below to learn more about this amazing opportunity.

New Hope Ethiopia