It’s hard to believe the Mother Teresa Children’s Centre only became fully operational this year. Centre Manager, volunteer Helen Chiula, shared an update with us.
“More of the older children, known as ‘Eagles’ have flown from the nest! August 2013 saw 8 more MTCC children graduate to primary school. Two have gone to Mchiru Private School, while the others have stayed very close at St James’. One of the success stories from the group was of a young boy who had been attending the centre since it was opened. He arrived with no communication and exhibited inappropriate behaviour. With the patience and commitment of the Care Givers, he developed strong language skills, interacting with other children, enjoying taking part in activities. On Graduation Day, his parents could not speak highly enough of the changes they had seen. He has started off very well in Standard 1.
The year has seen many themes give way to creativity and inspiration in a number of different ways. Children have learnt new songs, games and stories, shared baking time, produced artistic masterpieces and always enjoyed playtime. There was even a wedding in our youngest room, Doves! Learning about Malawi led to a trip to the Museum of Malawi, where the children saw life-size models of rhinos and hippos – something many have only ever seen in pictures. They also got the chance to see old buses, the first fire engine of Malawi, and one of the old trains from the railway. The children have visited our very own Beehive Construction Team, and learnt about the JCBs they often see nearby. It’s been a busy few months, and continues to flourish.”