Around the House

Over the years, the children's village in Morogoro, Tanzania has grown steadily. A residence for the kids was joined by a guest house, a second residence for the kids, and several smaller utility buildings. When the property was first established, it sat out in the countryside — but the city's rapid growth has since caught up with us. Morogoro's population has grown from 60,000 in the 1970s to roughly half a million people today. We're now surrounded by houses and schools.

Growth and the passage of time bring their share of repairs, both large and small, to the buildings in the children's village: last year new beds were needed; more recently, damaged ceiling panels had to be replaced.

On top of that, pests had found their way into the storage room — another repair job for our maintenance team.

»A planned day can change in an instant: power outages and urgent repairs are nothing unusual«, explains an AVC staff member on the ground. »It's an encouragement to know that God knows every detail and provides guidance step by step.« Despite the ongoing repairs, there's still time for new projects: the run-down chicken coop is currently being rebuilt from the ground up. It's designed to hold 120 chickens. The eggs will help supplement the children's basic food supply, and any surplus will be sold, with the proceeds going back into the children's village.

Soon, a drinking water dispenser will also be added to complement the water treatment facility. Selling the surplus drinking water to the surrounding neighborhood will help fund the sorely needed maintenance of the water treatment system.

At the AVC children's village, children and teens find more than four walls and a roof over their heads: they find a family home in a loving atmosphere — one that fills their lives with hope and joy. Rejection and discouragement give way to confidence and a new conviction: »I am wanted, and I am loved.«