Pre-school

If you come for a visit to the Beautiful Kidz centre, you are likely to find a group of precious little people; either noisily enjoying the playground or seriously learning about the world around them.

At Beautiful Kids, we provide a Day Care Centre with a safe environment for AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children between the ages of 3 and 6 years, where they are being cared for during the day and receive two good meals and preschool education.

Parents and caregivers from the community, submit application forms for their children to attend the Beautiful Kidz preschool.  Volunteers from the centre visit each applicant's house to identify the families most in need.  The parents / caregivers are called in for an interview and, after another home visit,  the final selection for the following year's intake is made.

The preschool classes are divided according to age groups.  We have four classes and five fulltime teachers catering for about 85 children.

The daily programme from Monday to Friday:
07:30    Arrival
07:45    Bathroom routine
08:00    Breakfast
08:15    Worship and Bible Story
08:45    Learning activities
10:15    Snack, Toothbrush, Play time
11:15    Learning activities
12:45    Lunch

We are also able to provide the children with introduction to computer skills.

These little ones also become agents of change as their growth and development becomes a testimony in their community.  It remains a privilege to hear parents and caregivers express gratefulness for what their children receive.

Every week we are privileged to partner with God to have an impact in the lives of about 250 young people from Katutura.

Here's what happens:

Monday:
Choir practice in the afternoon
The choir performs at the Beautiful Kidz youth clubs as well as at other youth ministries.

Tuesday:
Discipleship class
These times are to focus on the Bible in more detail, to look at how to do life and to have in-depth discussions in small groups.
They also reach out into the community; learning to work with God and getting opportunities to give out.
A selected group of 35 attends the discipleship class.  The ages are between 13 and 20 years old, with the majority being teenagers.
Read testimonies about some exiting encounters during one such event.

Wednesday:
"Choose to Wait"
We look at God's perspective on families and abstinence.
Those who complete the course, receives a certificate.

Thursday:
Youth club for age group 13 to 15.
About 80 young people getting together for times of worship, messages, dramas and sometimes small group discussions.  On occasion the discipleship class or visiting teams will run the programme.

Friday:
Children's club
About 250 children, divided in two groups, gathering at the same time in two different locations for worship, Bible stories and life lessons.
Grades 1 to 3 (roughly ages 6 to 8) lays foundations.  Grades 4 to 7 (more or less ages 9 to 12) also prepares for the move on to the older youth group.

Saturday:
Soccer team
The purpose of the soccer team is to create practical discipleship opportunities.  It is one thing to talk about God, but we have everyday struggles with things such as manners and temper.  
We also learn discipline through soccer.   When we break the rules that we have set up, we get suspended.  This serves as a good motivator, because we love soccer.
Many of the soccer team members will also join the youth club.  For some soccer became the means opening through which they gave their lives to Christ.

One particular team member had a real problem not being able to control his temper and would end up fighting and beating others.  During worship times he would be all "holy", but the pressure situations revealed a different picture.
After being with the team for some time, Gabriel asked him to write down what soccer did to him.  He wrote: 'I have learned to control the ball and even my temper'.

(Read more testimonies; click the Real Life tab)

Saturday:
Hope Club @ 16h00
This club was formed so that we could keep accommodating those who finished school and went to work.  
We have times of deeper worship, discussions and messages for those entering into adulthood (ages 15 to 25).  We learn to be accountable for and to one another and to pray for each other.

STEP UP NEEDLEWORK PROJECT

In the community many young men and women are very sick and dying - a direct effect of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  As a result there are many orphans and vulnerable children who live with grandmothers and extended families.

As we were visiting the caregivers, we were able to build good relationships with them.  For some years we were involved with feeding some of the very needy families, as well as providing emotional and spiritual assistance.

Then we started a small needle work project with a few ladies in order to help them to have a source of financial income so that they can provide food for their families.  Typical African art and craft designs were incorporated into our hand embroider work.
Soon the project involved 25 ladies that meet at the centre and work together.  These ladies can now have a regular income.

They also attend Bible studies and they receive teaching on topics such as money management, making right choices, raising children, etc.  True to African culture, they formed a close knit bond, caring for one another and keeping each other accountable.

It is rewarding to be able to offer work to the caregivers and in this way create a better living situation for the children.  Instead of receiving food parcels, they are enabled to go to the shops and buy their own food.

Vision statement:

To uplift the community by establishing a self-sustaining needlework business which creates jobs and offers quality products to the community for a fair price.   To raise up local leaders in our community.

Products:
For about two years we produced articles for the European market, but we now find that market saturated.  This led us to do research into local markets, which showed a big demand for school uniforms in all the schools in Katutura.  After our initial contact, all the school principals were very enthusiastic about the idea to provide cheaper (than the currently imported) uniforms to their scholars.

We want to train the ladies to work with sewing machines and teach them how to make school uniforms.  In this way we aim to extend our input into this community, both in offering work to local people and in offering quality products at lower prices.

Our needs:
Machinery - such as industrial sew machines
Large tables and cupboards
Transport costs

Since Step Up needlework project started in 2009, it has proven itself to have the potential to become a sustainable project which empowers the caregivers in our community and restores their dignity and enabling them to provide for their families.

David (not his real name) was the one who made fun of others; playing the entertainer, making jokes.
Gabriel challenged him that he has a gift, but he is using that gift for the wrong reasons.  Gabriel warned him that God will keep him accountable for what he did with the gifts that God gave to him.
David's family name has a negative connotation and his family life reflected that; being full of strife and other strange things that happen to them.
Another challenge was given to David - maybe God wants to use you to turn your family around; for you to be the light to your family.  As a 15 year old, David is very intelligent.  People listen to him because he often speaks with wisdom.
Not long after this, David told Gabriel that he started a small fellowship group and they get together to encourage one another!  David said he want to stop breaking people down; he wants to be the light.

*****

Young man of 13 years old, joined the discipleship group.  While he was attending the classes, he heard God speak to Him and felt challenged by God to obey his mother.  He shared with the group that before this, he had been very disobedient.  Now God was asking him to obey and respect his mother, even if she was an alcoholic.  And God gave him a promise that He will not take his mother away before he finished with school.

*****

At 18 years old, Clive (name changed) never knew his father.  The father had run away, so Clive was always aware that there was a father somewhere in another town, but he never made contact.
As a family they often moved house.   The mother had no work and they lived off food that other people would give to them.  Of course, they only had worn out clothes to wear.
Clive was very embarrassed about his family's situation.  He was even too ashamed to talk to his friends.  Often he wondered why they had to move house so often.
At the youth gathering, Clive testified about how he cried out to God, asking why their family had to endure all these difficulties.
God heard his cries; his mother became born again.  She came home one day and announced: "I think God is about to do something.  He heard our calls".
The next day the mother got a job with a good salary.  Now they are able to help those who helped them before.

*****

A mother came to Gabriel, asking for help with her 15 year old son.  She discovered that he had not been attending school for about 5 months.  When she spoke to him about it, he just said, "No, I don't like school". 
This young man had been coming to soccer practise every Saturday and Wednesday, even though he was already part of another soccer club.  He asked Gabriel for help and whether he could join the Beautiful Kidz team.  At first Gabriel told him there in no place on the team, but he kept coming to practice.  It was then that Gabriel realised it was the son whose mother asked for help.

Gabriel took time to have a personal conversation with this young man.  He opened up and admitted that he did not go to school because others teased him about being poor, his clothes and where he lived.
When Gabriel asked him where he would not want to end up with his life, he responded that he would not want to be poor, homeless or a drunkard.  One of his dreams is to be an architect and design houses.
Gabriel then challenged him:  Everyone has dreams, even the one living out of the dustbin.  But if you do not do something to move towards your dream, you will end up where you do not want to be. You also need Christ to assist through life.

Gabriel committed to talk to the teachers and ask them to support this young man.  A few days later the young man was back in his school uniform.   He and Gabriel now meet once a week, showing that he is willing to receive more guidance.

****

OUTREACH ENCOUNTERS:

The discipleship class went to visit one of the local establishments for senior citizens.  We took snacks looking to have a time of fellowship, but also opportunities to encourage and pray for our hosts.

One of the 13 year old boys testified:
I asked God: 'What do you want me to say and who do you want me to be a blessing to?'  It was my first time to do outreach like this and I was very nervous.  But after I asked God, I could not believe the things I was saying.
I asked an old man if he has ever received Christ.  The man replied: 'No.  Does God care - I am old?'
My answer was: 'God loves you the way you are. He loves young and old and if you decide to give your life to Him, He will receive you'.
The man asked if I would pray for him and I said yes, that is why I was there.
Afterwards he asked me to come again.  I realised these people are looking for someone to talk to and because we came, this old man was able to express his heart.

One of the young people asked a grandmother if she knew God.  She said yes, but confessed that although she once served God with her whole heart and enjoyed singing in choirs, she had moved far from Him.  The young person then asked the grandmother if you would like to come back to God at which she responded: 'Of course, please pray with me'.

It was a big encouragement to experience that God can use us and guide us.