Joska

Term 2, 2021

Greetings in Jesus’ name from Joska center.  It has been another amazing term and as it comes to an end we look back and say surely this far the Lord has been our Ebenezer.  Thank you very much for your support and partnership as we work together to transform lives through the hope of Christ.

Blessings,
Goretty Som,
Chief Principal, Joska

Total Enrolled: 917 students
Total Unsponsored: 236 students

Clara* is a mother of four. She has two children who are students at the Mathare North center while her eldest daughter – Bella* – has been a student at Joska primary school and is now waiting to join the girl’s high school.

Clara and her children have faced a lot of ups and downs and this has had a direct impact on her children’s education. Age-wise, her younger two children should be in grades five and three but they are both in grade one having only joined the MOHI program in 2020. Bella’s education has not been affected as much because she joined the MOHI program at an early age. When her parents had a major fallout in 2017, Bella was a grade six student at the Bondeni center and she was transferred to our boarding program in Joska after Clara left for her maternal home in the village.

Clara later came back to Nairobi and started working as a conductor in the public service vehicles popularly known as ‘matatus’. Typically, this type of job is done by young men and is looked down upon because they are known to be rude, rough and uncouth. But, because she did not have any option, Clara did this work in order to provide for her family. In 2018 she got into a new relationship and she eventually conceived only to then discover that the man was married and that he was HIV positive. She called off the relationship in 2020 and was left alone to prepare for her fourth-born child.

The circumstances she was dealing with pushed her into depression. She had already moved her children from her mother’s place in the village to Nairobi and had them join the Mathare North center. She needed to find work yet her pregnancy meant she could not get any job. Clara had to sell most of her belongings in order to provide for her children and when she could no longer pay her rent, the landlord threw her and her children out. She moved in with her younger sisters and she stayed there until she delivered her baby. Once schools reopened in January 2021, she had to look for a house near the Mathare North center so that her children’s education would resume.

Clara’s health soon started to deteriorate and the social worker referred her case to MOHI’s Child Survival Team (CST) for additional support. Clara feared that she had contracted HIV. She thought she was going to die and was worried about her children’s future. Bella had just completed grade eight in March of 2021 and needed to transition to high school come August of the same year. The CST team offered Clara counseling, health care and nutrition support as well as guidance.  They encouraged her to get tested, together with her baby, and the good news is that both mother and baby do not have HIV!

As we speak, we can now see the results of these intensive counseling sessions since Clara now has a positive outlook on life. She regrets the decisions and choices she has made in the past and as a result, she has chosen to trust in God and live a clean life. She now sells face masks so that she can provide for her family and is often called in as a substitute cleaner at the Mathare North center.

With all these family conflicts, changes in lifestyle, and financial struggles, Bella still successfully sat for her national primary school exit exams. She will be joining the Joska girls’ school and we have all the confidence that she will excel.  She has always been a hardworking student, disciplined, humble, and respectful girl. She is also an above-average student who has what it takes to go to university.

While we still have a long way to go with this family we are really thankful for how far they have come. We have seen the Lord work to change this family’s fortune and we know the best is yet to come. Please keep Bella and her entire family in your prayers.

*Names changed

• We are happy the term commenced well with serious learning beginning immediately since the term was very short. This was a 10-week term, unlike the 14 weeks we have been used to.
  • The term started with opener exams followed by midterms and then the final exams. We thank God that our learners were able to do this and also finalize on their class syllabus.
• Another major activity that also took place during the term, was the registration of our grade seven and grade 11 students for the national exams. As these students move to grade eight and grade 12, they will need to sit for their national exams in March of 2022. We look forward to preparing them well for this transition and for the upcoming exams. 
• Our school was among those selected in Machakos county to undertake special assessment exams for grade three and grade seven students. These were all successfully done and we also achieved the objectives set by the Ministry of Education.
• We were delighted to witness the graduation of 32 kindergarten students. These young learners are now ready to join grade one on July 26th.

• We were privileged to have a team from Agristewards who carried out demonstrations on how “Farming God’s Way” should be conducted. We had a few parents attend these sessions since we want them to grow food in their farms as a way to curb and reduce malnutrition.
  • The team also spent time with our learners watching a movie and enjoying some popcorn together.
  • We were also delighted to receive a wheelbarrow which will be used by our farm attendants at the center.
• We had a number of American interns, seconded to us from CMF International, working with us at the center in the following activities:
  • Working at the farm and also working closely with the community on matters to do with Farming God’s Way.
  • Working at the health facility and teaching learners handwashing and toothbrushing techniques.
  • Accompanying social workers to conduct home visits in the community.
  • They donated 12 balls to be used by our learners, both primary and high school, for playing soccer, basketball, and handball.
• Summit Christian Church also toured the center and they got the opportunity to visit with their sponsored students.  
• Rocky Mountain Christian Church also paid us a visit and joined us for a Sunday church service where they participated actively including conducting the preaching that day.

• Pray for the good health of all our staff members, our learners, and their families especially during this season of COVID-19.
• Pray for God’s provision that funds will be allocated for the final completion of all pending projects at the center.
• Pray for all our partners that God will continue to provide for all their needs according to His riches in glory.