Spotlight Missions for October 2024: UMC Global Ministries

Madina Village School and Health Center and 

Fairfield Children’s Home (formerly Baby Fold)

by Zeke Fleet

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Madina Village School and Hospital:

This UMC Global Outreach Mission is in the Moyamba District in Sierra Leone, West Africa. This non-profit organization offers Christian education and health care for children in the Madina Village area that has experienced great suffering.

Perhaps you recall the Sunday morning message at Central in the summer of 2022 that featured the founders of Madina Village School and Hospital, Francis Mustapha and his wife Bobbie. Francis and Bobbie shared their compelling story about this thriving mission that has touched the lives of hundreds of children.

About the School …

• Madina Village school is a primary school and opened its doors in 2013.
• Students do not pay school fees but are supported by gifts to operate the school and feed the children.
• Classes average 30 students with trained teachers and assistants.
• The school has a 100% graduation rate. Student funding comes from sponsorships from individuals and organizations from throughout the world.

About the Health Center …

• Construction of the health center is now complete. The center includes an equipped facility and provides care for birthing, wellness care for infants, surgeries, treatment of tropical diseases, emergency care, a pharmacy, and educational programs.

The following is a message received from Bobbie Mustapha in mid-September that describes a few of the initiatives underway at Madina Village School and Hospital:

Hello Zeke,

Thanks for reaching out.  We so appreciate the support that we have received from CUMC in Traverse City.  This is awesome that you are going to do a Spotlight on Madina Village School and Hospital.  

There are several initiatives underway at the hospital and school. We (Francis and Bobbie Mustapha) are very blessed and grateful to God for our good health and being able to be here in Sierra Leone from July to October to witness the progress.

1. The hospital building is complete and is being used as a day clinic with four nurses seeing more than 200 patients each month.  The school nurse has her office, treatment room and classroom at the center.  The new school year started this week, and the nurse checks every student and teacher.  She will be starting the yearly bed net project soon, which helps so much in reducing malaria.  We now have more than 450 students.

2.   A 40-foot container of new and used equipment and furniture for the hospital has just arrived in the Port of Freetown.  Much of it was provided by Parkview Hospital.  Francis and his Deputy Director Maada are now in Freetown to finalize the administrative details needed to get the container released from the Port.  The container will have the last hard leg of its journey to Madina, including 140 miles of very rough roads – some flooded.  The container contains an x-ray machine, birthing beds, eye exam equipment, dental chairs, a surgical table and lights, and much more.  

3.  Madina Village School has now expanded to eighth grade and we hope to add one class each year.  This past year’s Class Six upheld our school record with 100% passing the national exams, with above-average scores.  They are a hard-working bunch of kids and teachers.  The stage of the assembly hall has been partitioned with woven dividers to accommodate two more classrooms.  By next year we will need a four-room classroom building for the middle school.  

Our greatest need is for a doctor or community health officer to make the hospital fully functional, especially for maternity needs and children.  Doctors are scarce here. Our continuing funding needs include more student sponsorships ($30/month) and operational expenses.  We try to use 100% of every dollar wisely.  Thank you so much for your support and prayers.

Gratefully,              

Francis and Bobbie Mustapha

 

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 Fairfield Children’s Home in Zimbabwe

A UMC Global Ministry

Serving children and families since 2002 by

caring for abandoned children with love, clothing, food, and education

 

 

The Fairfield Children’s Home (formerly Baby Fold) is a UMC Global Ministry in the village of Mutare in the African country of Zimbabwe. The ministry supports life-critical resources such as foster care, early childhood programs, education and health care, that have greatly improved the lives of hundreds of children since its founding in 1902. 

 

This faith-based, agency has been a source of hope for orphaned children who are financially supported world-wide by churches in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Department of Child Welfare. Each child is matched with a sponsor who sends $30 a month to their child: each child has three sponsors. The money pays for food, housing, school fees, uniforms, health care, and salaries that help subsidize caregivers. 

Approximately 150 children are placed in one of 15 separate family-style homes where they receive physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual assistance by caregivers and by neighbors in the greater Mutare community. This multi-service mission includes a hospital, church, school, and dental clinic and is on land that was gifted by the United Methodist Church. This year there are 24 children in the primary education program, 12 in the secondary program and six that are enrolled in colleges and universities.

The original orphanage was founded in 1902, and its services and facilities were expanded in 1996 with the help of UMC Global Ministries. According to administrator Rev. Juliet Mwarumba, the orphanage housing units need kitchen and bath repair, financial assistance for caregivers, and funds for general operational costs.

    Sue Hornby, Luana Dueweke, and Rev. Juliet Mwarumba contributed to this story.

How can you assist these powerful Missions?

Please consider a financial gift for these important Global UMC ministries. Your support is needed and much appreciated! You can distribute your donation online here to Missions.