Baba Dogo

Term 1, 2023

Greetings from Baba Dogo! We thank God for this first term of the year and we would love to share some of the highlights. Thank you for your support and partnership as we work together to transform lives through the hope of Christ.

Regards

Andati Joseph, Head Teacher Baba Dogo

Total Enrolled: 713 students
Total Unsponsored: 205 students

Jame’s father abandoned the family in 2020 due to financial constraints. He was working as a casual worker in one of the factories within Baba Dogo. But when COVID hit he was laid off and was unable to find employment. He could no longer support his family so he decided to leave. James’ mother used to walk a long distance where she used to wait with the hope of getting someone to hire her to wash clothes. Many times, she couldn’t get work and that meant that the family would go to bed that day without food.

Soon enough, the family was evicted from their house and their belongings seized by the landlord. A good samaritan took them in and gave them an abandoned pantry outside their house to shelter in. They were left with nothing, no furniture, utensils or beddings. They were forced to sleep in cardboard boxes and on sacks on the cold hard floor. During this period James and his siblings would go to a nearby orphanage in the evening where they would sometimes be given food and then go back to the pantry to sleep.

During the day when their mother went to look for casual labor, the children would go to the nearby dump site and scavenge for food and items to resell to get some money to buy food. As a result James and his siblings became dirty and of poor health.

During a social worker’s home visits one of our parents told them about James and his family. They were concerned that the children were not going to school and were often left to take care of themselves. Our social worker visited James and saw how bad the situation was. At this time James’ two elder siblings had been placed in an orphanage leaving behind James and the youngest who was still nursing. James was immediately enrolled in our kindergarten in 2022. The family was in dire need of assistance so MOHI provided them with food and other necessities while they got back on their feet.

When James first joined school he had a hard time concentrating and learning how to read and write. His class teacher paid special attention to James and helped him catch up to all the other students. Within a few months he was all caught up and was top of his class. As time went by and his teachers and staff continued to show James the love of Jesus his demeanor changed. He also seemed jovial and happy to be in school and receive regular meals.

We introduced James’ mother to a parents’ group that meets around her neighborhood. The group helped her start saving little amounts of the money she earns, after some time she was eligible to borrow money from the group that she used to meet some of the household bills. This has helped her provide for her family keeping them well nourished and ensure her children are well groomed until she could find work.

While interacting with other MOHI parents, James’ mother was able to be referred to work as a cook in a nearby school. We thank God for social connections and networks. Now she is able to afford a decent house for herself and her children. Due to her new financial situation, James’ mother went to the orphanage and was able to retake custody of her two children she was able to ensure that both of them are attending school.

At the beginning of this year, James’ father came back and reconciled with his family. He was able to secure a job and now he is earning an income enough to support his family. We continue to share the word of God with the family and they found a church and attend regularly. As we walk with this family we thank God for giving hope to this family and for its transformation. We are grateful for the restoration of the family and allowing them to be reunited.

*Name was changed

• We are very proud of our Drama club that participated in the Regional Drama Competitions. They made it to the top 10, taking position 6 out of 32.
• Our athletics team participated in the Sub-County Athletics Competition. Our team qualified for the next round and will be competing in regional competition next month.

• We were pleased to have Valley Christian High School students together with their teachers visit us this term.They played soccer with our grade 7 & 8 students.They also spent time with the parents of children who have special needs in the therapy room.They all had a great time interacting with each other.

• Praying for God’s protection of staff as they serve in the community. We also pray for the safety of our students and their families.
• Praying to God to continue to renew our strength as we serve the community of Baba Dogo.