Meet Miracle Victory Student Leaders

We want to introduce you to some of our school leaders and let you know what they do to make our school great! This is great training ground for them and we are so proud of their service. They were voted on by secret ballot by the our students. Our teacher, Joshua Ochieng, was kind enough to provide information about their duties, thank you!!

President, Emily Achieng

Deputy President, Thomas Obonyo

The president, Emily Achieng, is the overall leader who makes sure that the Ministers perform their duties and also ensures that the needs of the children are being met. For example, the lunch schedule and if the food is well cooked. If  the children have any issues, they report to their president, who will address concerns and bring it to a teacher's attention. This is working well, allowing the children to feel free with one another knowing they can share anything safely.  The work of the deputy is similar to that of the president. Thomas Obonyo will take the responsibility if the president is not available.

Student government leaders, as described from left to right. (they all are wearing their TOM's shoes)

The minister for peace, Jeff Ochieng (3rd from left), works to make sure that whenever there is a conflict between the children, he is able to talk to them and bring understanding among fellow students. This is possible because the teachers have taught him how to handle any misunderstanding between his fellow students. I.C.T (information in computer and technology) was created (as we believe by God's grace we'll one day have computers in the center) and he will be in charge, but at the moment what he does is to pass any information to the children like the debates motion which we normally hold every Friday afternoon. Minister of Education, Emily, is to ensure that teachers are in the class on time and whenever a child lacks learning material, like pens or books, she takes the matter to the teacher. The speaker's (Joan Anyango) function, is to chair the debate and with the help of the teacher, come up with a motion to monitor debates. The minister for health,Rose Aoko, works to make sure that the general cleanliness is observed within the school. Of course, our teachers are the ones ultimately responsible, but this gives a voice and opportunity for growth for these special students.

Employees of Miracle Victory Children's Centre

Environmental Club

Environmental club at work

Three of our teachers recently were given training to introduce environmental clubs in our school and how to select the board. They were also taught basics of  home gardening, rabbit keeping and chicken keeping. They were also shown a method to teach the school pupils how to keep the environment clean. The main objective was to show teachers how to set up an environmental club and how to instruct the children. They also learned how to develop micro projects which can generate food or income to the school. This is something I tried several years ago, but it failed. We rented land and planted crops, hoping that the proceeds would help sustain the school. It was a good plan, but without complete buy-in from the entire school (teachers and students) it was difficult to be successful. God has answered years of prayers, for sustainability, for training of teachers, for provision of the tools to make the school successful. All glory to Jesus for this!!

Celebrating His Goodness (right now!)

June 22, 2015/by bringDesigner

A preacher recently reminded me that we really should not be living our lives waiting for “that” to happen…since when “that” happens, “then I can…” . Having that kind of mindset can lead to just ticking off a list of things and moving on the the next goal without taking time to be grateful for where we are right now. It is easy to be consumed with the goal of completing the school, without reflecting on God’s grace and kindness that has been evident in the in between time.

Let’s reflect on that goodness and take account of all the positive things that have taken place.

The end of September, the school obtained a certificate of registration. This is a stepping stone, that shows just how far the school has progressed! It is recognized by the Kenyan government. This is pretty huge, considering when we started in Kibera slum, there was NO government support. Most of the slum residents did not have access  the basic needs of water and electricity because they were not even acknowledged as a town. We are thankful for governmental recognition and hope that this “favor with man”, will provide aid and assistance when needed.

We have 3 bathrooms! This pictures is about 4 weeks old, so picture them fully assembled, functioning, with toilet paper and not being used as the storage room. For anyone without the experience of a typical third world toilet. These are beautiful, sent from the good Lord above. Our school children, have in the past, navigated the hilly , twisted paths, just to find a local outhouse- dark, dank, smelly and usually charged a small fee to boot! At times they had to cross the railway to get to a toilet, not safe for ANYONE, let alone a small child. Later on, we were able to use poo/pee disposable potties on site…right next to our cook, preparing the rice and beans. (sounds appealing, yes?) So, we are VERY THANKFUL for God’s kindness! Thankful for a leap forward in sanitation and safety!

Classroom with poo/pee stored at the front.

There are many school clubs , recently started, providing fun, exercise and ways to develop personal interests. That is very exciting! Over the years, I’ve talked to Monica about using the talents of their community. We have talked about the possibility of planting a garden to supplement the children’s diet, the possibility of raising chickens for eggs, sewing our own uniforms or having a store to supplement and make the school more self sustaining. The beginnings of these activities is taking shape. There are now multiple clubs in which the children can become involved! There is a garden club, a debate club, environmental club,  a chicken raising club and the always popular soccer/sports club! Below is a short snippet of our children playing during a recent match with another school. They are the ones that are bare chested. I am so glad they decided to play, even without uniforms. They are making use of their talents and developing skill sets for life. Not to mention, they are having a blast!!

There are more things to celebrate. More children are under our care, receiving an education, ready to go into the world and impact their community for God’s glory. More teachers have been hired to teach the additional classroom of children, providing income for another Kenyan family. We thank God for all these things! These blessings mean increased budget needs for the school. Miracle Victory Children’s Centre is also making a plea for donations, to meet the multiplying needs. God is faithful, He is good, He is Our Provider, a Father to the Fatherless, Our Strong Tower… He is Our Everything!

Genesis 22:14New International Version (NIV)

14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Construction Phase 2 Pictures

May 12, 2015/by bringDesigner

Patience is a virtue. Love is patient…that is what my bible says in Corinthians ,anyway. I am way past the praying for patience stage. There was a time, was when my children were tiny and I did not want to snap at them, due to parental exhaustion- I did pray for patience then. But, it seemed as though more opportunities to practice that virtue were availed to me, too many more times and I stopped asking for patience and began praying for rest. Why am I talking about patience?  Because, building in Kenya has been very tedious. Everything moves in slow motion. Things that were bought and paid for more than 2 years ago, are just now being set in place to be used. We have been blessed by some sweet, generous donors and the things they have purchased have not been pictured yet, due to the slow process of everything! Our Kenya contractor, Paul Obia, has gone upcountry on multiple occasions and no construction takes place while he is away. Please be in prayer for the construction process, the workers, Paul- that he will do his work with excellence and not take any more trips. Pray for the school children, as they are meeting in another facility until school completion, the teachers for strength and insight to teach in the middle of chaotic times.

Would some of you consider praying daily for us? We need prayer coverage more now than ever! Cry out to God for us and with us. Thank you for praying.

“And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18:7-8).” 

Here are the most recent photos (this week). They show some of the completed areas. They also show some of the incomplete areas, where tons of work needs to take place before the children can return. Currently, we are checking into safety inspections. The upper level has a long way to go before it will be safe.

Monica, at the entrance to the school.