Nursery Feeding Program in Phanga

Before going into our account from our visit we will provide you with some background on Nursery Feeding Programs (NFPs). NFPs are set up in villages where there is much evidence of extreme poverty. Typically in these villages the child mortality rate before the age of five is very high. We have the ability to provide relief for a large number of children through NFPs because we allow all preschool aged children from the surrounding village to attend class. They are all taught preschool material in the morning as well as told a simple Bible story. Following class they each receive a plate of porridge. For many of these children this is all or most of the food that they will receive in a day, especially this time of year when food is scarce.

Nursery Feeding Programs benefit many children with minimal capital costs. Building a few structures does not cost a lot but provides a great need in the most vulnerable time of a small child. The disadvantage of a NFP over a Child Care Centre is that we are able to reach these children for only a short period of their life (ages three to six) as they leave us to attend a government primary school at the age of six. We hope that the care and education provided to them impacts their young lives and that their families continue to join us for Sunday church services in the Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Sponsorships for Nursery Feeding Programs are available. If you are interested, please email sponsorship@timotheos.org for more information.

On Thursday we visited the Nursery Feeding Program in the village of Phanga. We saw 95 children being taught under a tree, as they have not been set up with a schoolblock structure. The church building, which they were using during the week had collapsed as it only had a grass roof. They were working on constructing a new church building but were not able to complete it before the rainy season. Without a roof on the structure, the walls all collapsed again. Please remember this community in prayer and financial support.

The new church in the foreground and the old church structure behind it.

The old church structure.

Volunteer cooking mothers busy making the daily porridge.