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Beautiful Kidz a ministry to children in need! |  |
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A bit about us
Beautiful Kidz Namibia is a Ministry to Children in need. It was established in1994 by a Dutch Couple, Toby & Aukje Brouwer. We were previously known as Beautiful Gate Namibia, but changed our name to Beautiful Kidz Namibia in 2007 staying with Youth With A Mission.
Beautiful Kidz is a non profit organisation. Our Center in based in the community in Katatura in Windhoek, Namibia.
We focus on various areas in the community from running a Pre-school to after school programs and various Youth programs as well as Needlework projects for the woman of the community.
Beautiful Kidz Namibia is run by Brian and Pam Kinghorn.
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Section last updated by fiona on Feb 28, 2012
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We Are Passionate About Children
Beautiful Kidz Namibia is an international, interdenominational Christian organisation providing care and support to children in need and their families. The ministry provides emotional, spiritual and physical care to children in need. Beautiful Kidz Namibia is supporting families and communities by giving practical assistance, theoretical training and discipleship.
In future we would like to see Christian care centres for children in need in the different
regions of Namibia. We would want to be able to give support and assistance to these new care
centres.
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Section last updated by on Aug 15, 2011
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The Little Ones
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.
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Section last updated by Greg on Aug 15, 2011
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Changing Destinies
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.
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Section last updated by fiona on Feb 28, 2012
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Adults Step Up
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.
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Section last updated by fiona on Feb 28, 2012
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Testimonies of Change
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.
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Section last updated by fiona on Feb 28, 2012
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More Community Projects
On Saturdays we get real creative. Another activity that happens on this day, is art class for young girls of around ages 7 - 13 years. Watch out, Picasso!
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A gift that keeps giving. Thanks to a generous contribution of computers, we are able to provide computer training to everyone from the pre-schoolers, to the children from Community Hope School, to the youth that comes to home work classes, to the young mothers. For some of us, computers are part of life, for many it is still rare opportunity.
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The property that God provided, allows us to provide a place where young people from the community can study and do school assignments. Many houses make study near impossible, with lack of space and lack of proper lighting being two common contributors. Beautiful Kidz staff members oversee the home work classes and provide help where they can.
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Some of the Beautiful Kidz staff members do social visits throughout the year to check on the house situation of the pre-school children. We provide help where we can.
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Broken and abusive family life is a sad reality in our community. Once a year we offer a 12 week caregivers / child care training, aimed at helping young mothers. We seek to provide them with a godly, Biblical alternative to raise their children. Topics that are covered include: how children development, caring for your child, how to discipline children in a godly way, child abuse, hygiene and first aid. They also benefit from computer training and have regular Bible study. At the end of the 12 weeks, everyone who completed the training, receives a certificate.
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Section last updated by fiona on Feb 28, 2012
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