Joska

Term 3, 2021

Greetings from Joska center! We are happy to come to the end of another school term, indeed God has graciously enabled us. We are grateful that we have continuously experienced transformation among our learners, parents, and the community at large. Thank you for your support and ministry; your prayers, love, and concern has brought great hope and restoration to the families we serve. God bless you.

Blessings,
Lilian Karemesi,
Headteacher, Joska

Total Enrolled: 1275 students
Total Unsponsored: 510 students

*Patrick is a grade nine pupil at the Joska center. He is the second born in a family of four and together with his three siblings, they live with their widowed mother.

Patrick’s father used to work as a night security guard at a local market in Joska. He died suddenly after he was attacked by thugs one night while on duty. His death devastated his family, not only because of its brutal nature, but because he was also the family’s sole breadwinner. Their lives changed drastically because the mother struggled to provide them with their basic needs. Thank God they still accessed education through our school.

With these challenges at home, Patrick’s behavior took a drastic turn. He started stealing from shops and churches in order to provide for his mother and siblings. He joined a gang to help him carry out these activities and ended up being arrested in early 2019 after he was caught stealing a church’s offering and speakers. We thank God the police chose to give this young boy a second chance and together with the mother, we stepped in to offer counseling and mentorship to him.

Patrick had a lot of grief, anger, and many unanswered questions. He, however, acknowledged that his actions were causing his mother even more distress and he decided to stop keeping the bad company. We continued to evangelize and pray with the boy and it was a time of great rejoicing when he gave his life to Christ. We watched the transformation happen in this young man’s life as he devoted himself to serve God. He learned to play the keyboard and faithfully served at the school’s Christian Union and at the local church where he fellowships. 

Patrick sat for his national primary school exit exams and got an above-average score. Once again, MOHI stepped in to ensure his education was not cut short. He was enrolled at the Ndovoini center where the report is that he is a role model. We know Patrick still has many unmet needs, but as a school, we celebrate his change of behavior, strong leadership qualities, and determination to learn. We continue to pray for his success in life and for care for his family.

*Name changed

• School activities:
  • The school opened on 26th July 2021 and closed on 1st October 2021.
  • We registered 135 grade-eight learners and 93 grade-12 learners in readiness for the national primary and high school exit exams to be done in March 2022.
  • We had 60 of our grade six learners successfully transit into the boarding program.
  • We had 100 students join grade nine.
  • The school took a three-day midterm break. This was refreshing for the learners and our staff.
• Sports outreach:
  • Sporting activities were carried out across all our grades. 
  • We had internal competitions for both staff and learners. This was done to bolster a sense of teamwork. 
  • We also had sporting activities where we pitted staff and learners from our center with those from Ndovoini. We had a fun time enjoying the friendly competition.
• Spiritual support:
  • Mentorship programs took place successfully. There was good support from MOHI’s mentorship team who had programs for both staff and students.
  • Our Christian Union team arranged for a Weekend Challenge that took place from 10th to 12th September. This is a three-day event where we share the word of God, engage in fellowship, praying and also singing unto the Lord.
  • Staff and student devotions were well conducted and attended by everyone throughout the term.
• Other Activities:
  • The headteacher and the Chief Principal attended the Angaza Mock Camp from 16th -21st August. This mock camp had been prepared to ensure that the camp facilities are ready to host grade six learners. It was a fun-filled time that gave us a glimpse of what our students will be enjoying.

• We were honored to have visitors from Black Hawk Ministries and Twin Oak Christian Church. During their visit, they:
  • Attended the church service with the students.
  • Visited with the students in their classes and prayed with them.
  • They donated balls to our school.
• Our staff attended a medical camp offered by a team of doctors from the US, in conjunction with pastors from Christ’s Church of the Valley – Arizona. The team came to our center on Saturday, September 25th.

• This term many of our staff and learners lost loved ones in the course of the term. Please join us as we pray for God’s comfort upon them and their families during this very trying time.
• Pray for provision of funds so that we can complete some of the still pending construction projects at the center. This includes the multipurpose hall, the girls’ dormitory, the high school tuition block, and the clinic building.
• We are praying for God’s continued protection and provision for the entire MOHI fraternity and the families we serve.