Wrap Up an Amazing 2024
Dan and Irene just returned from their final trip of the year and would love for you to check out the highlight video.
Community Hope and Growth
At our final event of the year, a chief shared heartfelt stories about how their communities have been profoundly blessed and inspired by the various initiatives emerging from Mitongwe. These activities, ranging from leadership courses to community-focused farming, sports, and educational programs, are sowing seeds of hope and paving the way for growth and a brighter future. It's truly uplifting to see the positive impact these efforts are having on the community!
Here is a summary of some highlights of 2024 at Mitongwe.
Community
Our Health and Wellness building is now complete, and we will be finalizing the entrance, compost toilets, furniture and materials, waiting area, educational supplies, and training staff. Our Preschool continues to flourish, with over 60 children attending daily, growing stronger thanks to daily porridge and fruit. The Sports Ministry is flourishing, with an abundance of children eager to participate. We have also broadened our reach to include church youth groups in the development of a Ready, Set, Go program aimed at empowering young people. Team UP conducted a week-long training session for our coaches, culminating in a tournament that saw over 450 children participating in various games and activities. We were delighted to distribute Days for Girls pad kits to hundreds of schoolgirls, and this year, we also hosted a successful workshop for the boys.
Faith
Our feeding program launched in November and will run for the next four months, providing food every other week to help seniors until their next harvest. The Youth program continues with weekly sessions featuring games, and Bible teachings, and concludes with a delicious soup. The children are also learning about gardening to support their family gardens. This year, our mission outreach has repaired roofs for over 30 vulnerable elderly individuals in nearby communities. Dan effectively facilitated a four-week Leadership course for 24 chiefs, who were excited to engage and learn, having never experienced any form of leadership support before. Furthermore, our leadership team obtained valuable insights by continuing with the Equip to Serve courses. We have distributed hundreds of audio Bibles.
Farm
We have expanded our Mitongwe seed bank and initiated two additional seed banks in neighbouring villages. Our cattle are flourishing and playing a vital role in our gardens and 85 additional farm plots in nearby villages. They contribute manure for compost piles, creating natural fertilizer, and we are proud to say that we now have 199 cattle! The dehydration facility has been actively processing turmeric and ginger while also experimenting with new products. Additionally, we are cultivating a variety of vegetables for future dehydration. Two of our team members have completed medicinal training, and we are beginning to produce our medicinal products. We have begun bee production and set up hives across the farm, with plans to expand into the surrounding communities. The wormery is presently being built and will aid in the restoration of microbial life, as well as create potting soil. We aim to produce enough to benefit all the farms in our surrounding communities.
Yearend
We are grateful for God's guidance in helping us make a difference for families in need. Your encouragement, prayers, and support have profoundly impacted countless lives. We invite you to consider contributing through your year-end giving. We are committed to using all funds wisely. Your donations genuinely create a meaningful change in the lives we reach. Together, we can achieve remarkable results. Thank you for standing as one with us.
