Life magazine 8 (US version)

life Inside issue 8

Equipping local churches to care for children LIFE FOR CHILDREN AND THOSE WHO CARE FOR THEM A clean start for children in Costa Rica Staying faithful in a storm in Venezuela Disabled children no longer hidden in Uganda

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Issue 8

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Summer 2019

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EDITORIAL Isaiah 57:2 reads, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news and proclaim peace.”

Imagine having a clear calling to be the one to bring the good news and peace of Christ to the chaotic lives of vulnerable children in your community.

Imagine God’s Spirit moving you to form this part of his Kingdom into a plan to bring about change for local children.

But it’s not so straightforward. With limited contacts, expertise, resources and lack of access to those in power, it’s near impossible for you to make the change alone.

This is the reality for thousands of faithful people around the world, eager to bring God’s Kingdom of good news and peace for children, but in desperate need of the right connections and training to see their calling fulfilled.

This edition of Life magazine features stories like this from people around the world who have heard God’s call and transformed the lives of local children, thanks to the support of Viva partner networks.

Could you support this work in equipping these local people to care for children? You can give by using the form with this mailing or online at viva.org/localsaints.

Thank you so much for being part of the movement to see God’s restorative Kingdom come for children at risk of abuse and neglect around the world.

Best wishes

Felix Mathew US Executive Director, Viva

We are an international Christian charity passionate about releasing children from poverty and abuse. We grow locally-led networks who are committed to working together so that children are safe, well and able to fulfil their God-given potential.

Last year, Viva reached over 2 million children by partnering with 38 networks and working in 27 countries. Find out more at viva.org 2

Viva Life is published three times a year by Viva Network North America

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EQUIPPING LOCAL SAINTS TO CARE FOR CHILDREN

GROWING

TRUST A volunteer mentor with a group of children in Siem Riep

From an initial fear of the task ahead, volunteer mentors with Viva’s partner network, Peace Team Cambodia, have grown into their roles, and are turning around children’s broken lives, writes Khun Sokhem.

When we started our anti-trafficking program in 2017, there were many challenges facing our volunteers. They were afraid that no-one would listen to them and concerned that they were unable to deal well with children who suffer so much. We asked them very straightforward questions: “are you willing to act on your calling from God and, if you don’t go to help those children and people, who will?”

children for each mentor.

The children all came with difficult circumstances – some have no food to eat, some are from broken families, some have no school uniform and materials, some are regularly beaten by adults.

Through our training, the volunteers came to realize that they wouldn’t face trouble from anyone for sharing ways of protecting children from abuse and trafficking. They learned that co-operation with government at all levels is important, and that they should explain everything clearly with community leaders, parents and children.

Mentors are loving and encouraging these children, and helping to turn broken hearts into hopeful hearts. A strong trust has grown between children and from child to mentor, and our volunteers feel very encouraged, empowered and want to continue their mission to help their community and children.

In the child mentorship project, there are ten mentors from different churches and ten Viva Life

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As the children shared their heartbreaking stories and situations with mentors, it was a very emotional time – but as the mentors wept with the children, this created a bond which inspired them to want to help even more.

Khun Sokhem is Executive Director of our partner network, Peace Team Cambodia Issue 8

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A CLEAN START

FOR CHILDREN IN

COSTA RICA

In a Costa Rican community controlled by drug cartels, local church leader, Bella Flor, has spent the last two decades bringing holistic transformation to the lives of children and families, whilst also getting her hands dirty by cleaning up the local environment.

Bella Flor talks to us about her motivation, her challenges and how being part of Viva’s partner network impacts her work.

What is your role?

I am a pastor and director of the Comedor Infantil La Tabla Posible (‘Children’s Canteen’ in La Tabla community), which is located in San Rafael Abajo de Desamparados, San José.

I have worked here for 22 years.

What inspired you to start working with children here?

La Tabla is a community of high social risk, where children are often abandoned by their parents.

Most of them are subject to violence from their relatives and we should not ignore the fact that some are exposed to abusive relationships. In addition, 4 34175 Viva Life US issue 8 STG2 AW.indd 4

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the community is dominated by drug addiction, resulting in children working as ‘drug mules’ to earn money to relieve the hardship they find themselves in.

From that day on, each time I went into the neighborhood, God began to underline to me the promise that he had given me: that he was going to make a transformation in this community.

What pleases you most about the work?

It has been amazing to see the hand of God at work during these last 22 years, demonstrating his faithfulness, which has transformed the lifestyle of children, and also of the community.

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EQUIPPING LOCAL SAINTS TO CARE FOR CHILDREN There are many inspirational local saints like Bella who sacrificially give their lives to serve vulnerable children. However, one person or one project alone can only do so much; it takes an active network to have a greater impact on the whole community with a joint strategy to bring about consistent change over a number of years.

Bella says she has been called to “demonstrate the love of Jesus through her actions”

We opened a children’s canteen, not only supplying hot meals, but fulfilling the need for God’s Word to be opened up to children and teenagers.

We also give school support; assisting with supplies or helping students keep up their attendance. Our greatest achievement was the creation of a multipurpose court, as a space where young people gather, share and, above all, have fun together.

to see how the women, who were little girls 20 years ago, now bring their own children to the canteen.

What would you say is your biggest challenge?

We work to clean up the physical environment of the community through an educational program about the collection and separation of rubbish for recycling. It has been wonderful to be the means by which God is bringing light to this community.

How have you seen your community change?

Because of the clean environment, the neighbourhood is now more attractive, the river that surrounds it no longer floods when it rains. I have been able Viva Life 34175 Viva Life US issue 8 STG2 AW.indd 5

Viva’s 38 partner networks are not just connecting churches and organizations – they are connecting amazing people that make up the body of Christ. In a network, people are not alone; they can share in each other’s good times and hard times and, added together, they are an incredible force for good.

Issue 8

To gain the trust of the community to allow me to enter without having to ask permission. There are guards at all community entrances and people can be killed if they enter uninvited. There were many threats to my life when I first started in the community, but I have now built people’s trust.

How does being part of Red Viva Costa Rica help you?

Through their resources and programmes they provide me with the tools that greatly improves my work. Equally, the mutual support and the pastoral care helps me enormously. I know now that I do no longer work alone.

Bella Flor was talking with William Mora, Network Co-ordinator of Red Viva Costa Rica Summer 2019

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STAYING FAITHFUL IN THE

STORM

Members of a local community who took part in ‘Why Families Matter’ training

How can you continue to best care for children and young people, and support families, during a deepening national humanitarian crisis?

Viva’s partner network in Venezuela is doing just that in a country that local author Ana Teresa Torres called “a slowmotion catastrophe”. In recent years, people have experienced increasing hyperinflation, food and medical shortages, as well as rising crime and unemployment.

policies aimed at improving the situation, the population is left in a state of great helplessness. The shortages of food, medicine, fuel and electricity is resulting in anxiety, frustration and tension across the population. This tension is first expressed within families.

Strict government controls and limited economic freedoms have resulted in uncertainty and insecurity felt day after day, with aid being blocked at the border and thousands of people fleeing their country.

Last year, supported by Viva’s Latin America staff team, the network trained 20 churches in six regions of the country in the ‘Why Families Matter’ program, reaching 483 families, comprising 1,543 children and teenagers.

One of the places it has run is Las Bateas, a fishing village in Anzoátegui state where, amidst poverty, drugs, crime and violence, one of the network coordinators and her husband have started small study groups for children under the age of 12 years old.

It is in this context that our partner network, RENACSENIV, is bringing together 1,280 churches and organizations to reach around 430,000 children.

The nature of the network’s programs have had to shift in response to the country’s crisis. It is now providing basic foods, essential medicines and personal hygiene items to hundreds of people in three sub-regions of Venezuela.

Maritza Sibila, Co-ordinator of the network, writes, “In the absence of public 6 34175 Viva Life US issue 8 STG2 AW.indd 6

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Prayer is vital at a time like this. “We have prayed and we continue praying a lot,” says Maritza. “We have faith that this will be a year of great blessing for families in churches and the impact they may have in their neighborhood.”

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EQUIPPING LOCAL SAINTS TO CARE FOR CHILDREN

© CRANE

NO LONGER HIDDEN Last year’s disability awarenessraising march in Kampala

Fear and community stigma have created a culture of neglect and misinformation surrounding children with disabilities in Uganda, causing many children to be concealed by their parents.

Eighteen years ago, while training to be a physiotherapist, Florence Namaganda would see parents brave enough to take the step of bringing their children to a hospital – but only under the cover of darkness. When she started making home visits, she saw children kept well out of sight in a back room so as not be caught out by neighbors making unexpected visits.

These parents then educated their neighbors and overcame stigma together.

After receiving an unexpected donation, in 2006, Florence was able to launch ‘Mukisa’, a center where children with special needs and their parents could be guided to learn about disability together in a safe environment. Today, 4,000 children and their parents have attended the Mukisa center.

It was at this point, during her studies that Florence realized that God was calling her to be the catalyst for changing the futures of these hidden children. A daunting task ahead of her, but trusting in God, she began the journey towards an entirely new way of treating children with special needs in Kampala.

Florence founded the ‘Special Children’s Trust’, which has grown into a respected charity at the forefront of advocacy for children with disabilities in Kampala.

Being a part of CRANE, Viva’s partner network in Uganda, has given Florence and her organization the training, accountability and credibility to influence change at a high level in Kampala. The Trust organizes awareness-raising marches in the city and works alongside the government to identify gaps in services for children with special needs.

Starting simply, Florence would teach those she met on home visits about the facts: that their children were not a curse or punishment, but would flourish with the right education and attention.

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Schoolgirls in Patna

A FRESH UNDERSTANDING Last year, Viva India ran child protection training in 119 schools, reaching around 850 adults and almost 11,000 children in six cities. The program, which ensures schools fully comply with the Indian government’s child protection guidelines, has gained Viva a reputation for delivering high quality training.

A teacher at a school in Patna, in Bihar state, eastern India, describe the difference it made for them not only at work but in their community too.

“In my long teaching career, this is first time I have attended child protection training which was conducted by Viva in our school. After receiving the information, I could feel an amazing change in my heart and thoughts towards the children, not only as a teacher but as a mother and a citizen too.

After the training, I started advocacy on child rights and protection with children and adults, not only in my school but wherever I go, like my family and

community. There are three areas that I always focus on sharing with adults: respect your child as they are, feel the child’s emotions and spend time with your child. I am motivating children to break the silence against the abuse and will continue my work to protect children whatever I can do.

Thank you Viva for giving me a vision and mission for life!”

Aarti Kumari is teacher at St Paul’s School, Patna

Viva, 330 County Road 16 1/2, Longmont, CO 80504, USA t: 206-382-0790

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NA@VIVA.ORG

VIVA.ORG

Viva is an operating name of Viva North America.

Viva North America is a registered 501(c)3 organization, registered under employer identification number 84-1541857.

Any children referred to have had their names and photos changed in accordance with our Child Protection Policy.

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