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Orphan Feeding Program: Chipoka | |
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In 2009, we extended our orphan program to a new area called Chipoka. This program helps 50 children by providing 2 meals a week, tutoring, and scholarships for secondary school. It is our hope that over the next few years the community in Chipoka will begin to take steps of development. |
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Preschool | |
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The preschool at the Grace Center is buzzing with 125 little ones coming five days a week for a hot meal and a jump start on their education. We now have six teachers each receiving a small salary for their work. We need more sponsors to support our burgeoning program. Email sponsor@cohcommunity.org to learn more. |
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Partnership | |
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After years of seeking the Lord for a church at the Grace Center, our partners, the Grace Alliance Church have pulled together to build their church. In just a few short weeks, walls have gone up and windows are in, and with the exception of some U.S. funding to buy window frames, our Malawian partners have done it all on their own! And the change is not only happening at the Grace Center. Church members have begun clearing land and molding bricks in Chipoka and Salima as well. This is an excellent sign that the community is being empowered to make the changes they want to see.
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| Circle of Hope International |
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Greetings!
Have you ever gotten so bogged down in a project that you can no longer see the forest for the trees? Often times in our newsletters we try to spotlight one or two projects that are making great headway in Malawi, or here in the U.S. Every now and then, however, it is helpful to step back and get a bird's eye view of the big picture. In this edition, you'll find a brief update on each project in Malawi, along with a photo that will hopefully tell you more than our quick captions ever could. We hope you will catch a glimpse of how each project fits into our overarching vision of witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ by engaging in works of mercy and justice among the world's most impoverished people. As you'll see, some projects are growing in leaps and bounds, and some are steadily inching forward. In either case, we believe that responsible development work often calls for a long obedience in the same direction, and true transformation can only occur at the pace of grace. Thank you for partnering with us in our mission of hope! |
Orphan Feeding Program: The Grace Center
 When Circle of Hope International first began ministry in Malawi, feeding the children at the Grace Center was our first step of serving the poor. But we did not want to stop there. Providing food meets the children's immediate need for food, but it is not a long term solution to the issue of hunger in Malawi. In order to pursue development, and not just relief, COH expanded our feeding program to include tutoring and secondary school scholarships. It is sometimes difficult to find sponsors for our older children, but because secondary school is expensive, it is important to continue to support these children into their teen years. If you are interested in sponsoring a secondary school child, or giving directly to secondary school scholarships, please email sponsor@cohcommunity.org. In addition to tutoring and scholarships, COH also holds teacher seminars to support and provide furthering education for teachers in the public schools. This summer, intern Cherise Richards will be working with teachers in the public schools. Focusing on education, in addition to basic nutrition, will help our children to pursue a brighter future as adults.
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Community Health Evangelism 
In January, our Home Based Care Givers participated in training to learn how to start a Community Health Evangelism program in the communities surrounding the Grace Center. CHE integrates spiritual lessons with lessons on health care and disease prevention to help communities seek holistic wellness. Our Home Based Care Givers have spent the last three months doing careful surveys to strategically choose the best village in which to begin a CHE program. This summer, they will receive further training and will be ready to start casting the vision for holistic health in their first village. |
Timothy's Home 
This February, two new children found a safe and loving home at the Grace Center. Fourteen children now receive full time care at Timothy's Home. Chikondi and Mazuzo came to live in Timothy's Home after their uncle forced them to be apprenticed to a local witchdoctor. These two boys knew that initiation into the tradition religious practices was not what they had been taught at the Grace Center. When they refused to go to the witchdoctor for lessons, their uncle kicked them out of the house. We are so glad to have these boys living in Timothy's Home now! |
Self-Sustaining Projects 
Progress is has been slow but steady with our self sustaining projects the past few months. Hands of Grace Textile Center now has lockable cupboards to house supplies, so this summer production can start to slowly build a sustainable source of income at the Grace Center. You can purchase items from Hands of Grace on our Etsy site. In addition to the textile center, plans are in place to put in a maize mill at the Grace Center. The building for the mill is finished, but we are still raising funds for purchasing the mill. If you are interested in helping support this project, please contact Karen@cohcommunity.org. Finally, to make all these things work, we need electricity. Our electric project has been in paid for and in progress for more than 2 years now. Please join us in prayer that the wires will be connected into the grid soon.
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Please note that we have merged the California corporation with our Kentucky corporation. Everything stays the same except our address. Please send any written correspondence or payments by mail to: Circle of Hope International, 615 Bohicket Road, Wilmore KY 40390.
Check out our new sponsorship options on the website. Sponsorship is $20 a month. Email: sponsor@cohcommunity.org to start sponsoring today.
Sincerely,
Karen Roller
Circle of Hope International |
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