Smiling kids. Plates of food. Fun activities. All of these things paint the well-known picture of the after-school and nutrition programs that Ten Thousand Homes helps facilitate. But providing a place where children feel safe, receive a nutritious meal, and have space to learn and grow starts long before they set foot in the care centers. A lesser-known fact is that there are hours of preparation that go into every single program. It starts with dedicated local leaders, a lot of prayer, and a passion to see kids thrive.
Across our various partners in Africa, nutritious meals are being served every day of the week! Check out what a day in the life of a program looks like.
One of the first steps is making sure that all the needed supplies are ready to go. Food is a large part of the programs, but it doesn’t fall from the sky. The local teams do regular procurement trips to purchase the food needed for that week. Some items, such as vegetables and occasionally meat, are donated by local stores, and the other items are purchased from the funds given towards nutrition programs. This food is then loaded up and delivered to the care centers where the programs are held.
At each of our partner sites, there are local leaders who are dedicated to loving and serving the children in their communities. They often come to the care centers early in the morning to begin preparing the food.
Pap (maize meal) is being prepared, which will later be served with stew and veggies. This is started first thing in the morning, even though the kids won’t arrive until school gets out for the day.
The after-school programs are about so much more than just food. We believe it’s important to also provide opportunities for growth and development. At this program, activities and lesson plans have been prepared ahead of time so that they are ready to go once the kids arrive.
As the kids begin arriving around 2:30, attendance is taken. Having records of the kids who come to each program is important to keep things running smoothly long-term.
After checking in, it’s play time! When you put a lot of kids and some energetic volunteers in one place, games and activities generate themselves. Even on the hottest of days, soccer is a popular sport.
The first planned activity is a large group time. This may include songs, a Bible lesson, and perhaps a skit, if there are international volunteers visiting.
After all the children gather together, there’s an activity for a specific age group. At this program, they are rotated every week so that each group gets a turn.
These activities are a highlight of the program as it’s planned to be age-specific and focus on skills that are helpful for that group. For the younger children, it may be a motor-skill activity, coloring pages, or a simple craft, whereas for the older ones, interactive games and hands-on activities are popular.
Meanwhile, the other age groups take turns washing up and getting in line for food. After playing hard, you have to take some time to scrub the dirt off your hands!
Serving meals is a well-known part of the program, but it takes hours of prep to get there!
Lots of chatter and laughter can be heard as the kids sit with their friends for a meal. It’s important to provide a safe environment where they can build social skills by having healthy interactions with each other, adults, and volunteers from other countries and cultures.
Once they have finished their food, the kids help out by rinsing off their plates before bringing them to be washed.
Before the leaders and volunteers head home after a long day, there’s still clean-up to do. Washing dishes, cleaning floors, and putting supplies away are all a part of the day’s work.
An after-school program doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work for each program to run smoothly. It takes a team of leaders who are committed to investing in the children of their communities. It takes businesses generously giving of their resources to help provide food. It takes people from around the world linking arms with these programs financially and through prayer. It takes the energy and excitement of short-term volunteers and teams. And yet every part of the process is worth it, because it’s an opportunity to build hope, home, and brighter futures.
We are so thankful for everyone who partners with us to make these programs possible. From the ladies who run the programs, to our short-term volunteers, to the local businesses who donate food, to those who give financially, to those who faithfully join us in prayer – all of you are so very vital in building HOPE and HOME for these precious kids. Thank you for investing in the next generation of world-changers!
photography & captions by Rebekah Ness
