Greetings from Koro,
This month has been busy and for now I just want to update the prayers points: We want you to thank God -For the successful parents and teachers meeting, -The fresh water that the school is providing for the town of Koro, giving a good testimony through it. -The healing of Abel from his motorcycle accident. -The good progress of the school construction. -For the miraculous divine intervention when a little boy that came to find water for his family went up to the second floor and jumped down to test his own athletic ability. Somehow he was safe and did not even get a slice of injury. He was corrected enough to not try it again and his fellow kids do not follow his example. - For the little rain that cooled the ground down to grilling heat. 43C (109F) under the shade. - The second term that passed well. - For the end of public teachers and health agents strike. On top of security in Mali and divine guidance and wisdom, we need your prayers for: - For good health for the students, teachers, and families. - For the third term coming next week, - For the 9th graders national exam, - For expansion of Grace school with the land by the school for kindergarten class and the better land for the high school (in process). - For good continuation of the school construction. God bless you,. Ibrahima Warm greetings from Koro,
Grace School is known in Koro as the school of water, or the school of tall building, or the school of Ten Commandments. These three things make it different from the others for those who know very little about academic performance. As many did not go to school, it is funny how they prefer naming places or groups of people according to something they see. In the same manner here Christians are called the Alleluia people or the people of the father of Nema (Grace in our language) because the McKinney (first Christian missionary from the US to here in Mopti) had a daughter named Grace. And people heard them shouting Alleluia!!!! As we always have said in the newsletters, there is an increasing water crisis in Koro. Many families were getting their water from the well by the school since 2015 when we started the construction. Now days, more than a quarter of the town depends on the school’s well for their water. Many are openly expressing their gratitude to all those who made this school possible. This period is also favorable to fire in houses because of the heat, the drought and the wind. A family hangar caught fire but teachers and construction workers from the school immediately turned into courageous fire fighters and overcame the fire in just a few minutes. We thank the Lord for the improvement of Abel (school nurse) who had a motorcycle accident a few days ago. He was referred to Sevaré and later to Bamako for advanced medical care. Please thanks the Lord for the good results on the CT scan and treatments and pray that he will be quickly ready to come back to Koro to take care of the students. Roads are very bad here, provoking many accidents. We know you are praying for us. The second term is done and students did their second term evaluation. Because of the water we provide for Koro, we get many visits from the local authorities including the county Mayor, the city Mayor, the water and hygiene department etc. The city Mayor gave instructions to the electricity company to give us electricity. They did in the end allow us to connect the school to the grid through a family. The maximum Amperes we can use is limited to 5A while our water pump takes 3.8. It makes that we can't use fans or lights while the pump runs. We still have a way to go for suitable electricity at the school. We are applying for more Amperes, up to 15. The construction of the third floor is up to the covering process. Please pray for Mali and West Africa in general. In Mali today there are at least 3 different sources of threat in terms of security. But again we are more than confident in Our God, for He never fails. We thank you for being part of this great work of life saving and Kingdom enlarging. God bless you. Ibrahima Hello from Koro,
We hope your first month of 2017 was great. Our year is starting well here. We start the year with thanksgiving for the visit of Americans Brandon Pomeroy and Johnson who don’t see obstacles when it comes to visiting and helping the less fortunate. They only see the needy hand outstretched and faded kid’s faces. Their visit here is a renewing blessing to us like rain every year. Although the best we have here in Koro is way less than anything Americans can call comfort they came down braving mountains and valley. I remember the astonishing exclamation of a lady, asking: "Are there still Toubabou "White men" on this land? What a long time since I meet one!!!" Many students are still expressing their sorrow for missing Brandon and Kay because of the holiday. The girls at the school have never been prouder than after Kay Johnson talked to them. And female teacher Néma and Rachel have again shared with those who missed Kay's teaching on AFRIPad. It is a big relief on them as they worry about how to properly handle their body change. Many students despite the holiday came along to meet them. The building of the third floor is going well. The construction has started and it is hard work to take everything up by hand. Please pray for the workers so that they are safe and sound during all this building process. We are expecting the iron for construction this week. It gives us a special excitement to see how things are going now. The Ten Commandments are on the wall of Grace school. The students and parents like and appreciate them very much.We hope the commandments will be finally written on the heart of every single student and teacher, convincing them of sin and justice by the power of the Holly Spirit. Thank you so much for partnering with us for this fight against ignorance, beside some of the most disadvantaged kids in the world. God bless you, Your friend Ibrahima Once girls are about twelve years old the school attendance rate in Mali and other developing countries begins to drop dramatically. There are several reasons for this, but an important one is that girls stay home during their monthly menses. With no pads or underwear it’s just a big embarrassing mess. So they remain home and fall further behind in school.
A company in Uganda has developed the AFRIpad. It’s a reusable pad that will last up to a year. By rotating three pads throughout the day, washing and drying in between use, girls are able to stay clean and in class. Medical Missions Foundation has been providing pads during yearly mission trips to Uganda and accompanying them with kits that consist of three pairs of underwear, a washcloth and a bar of soap. The product and the education has been a great success there. In October Ibrahima carried fifty AFRIpad packages back to Koro. And with the help of Tandi Toone and a great group of donors and shoppers from St Luke’s Hospital operating room a duffel bag was filled with fifty kits, which I carried to Grace School last week. Kay Johnston, a recently retired ICU nurse from North Kansas City Hospital traveled with me to Koro. We met with Abel Kodio, the new school nurse. We explained the concept and he was optimistic and enthusiastic. The next day Kay, Abel, a female teacher, and an English translator met with the middle school girls. They talked for over an hour and the discussion went great. The girls understood and were interested in trying the pads. They asked appropriate questions and good information was shared about hygiene and health. Not everyone was there due to the New Year’s holiday. So the girls that were present will help Abel and the female teachers as they teach the rest of the girls about AFRIpads next week. This is a wonderful project and one that really speaks to the intersection of health and education. It’s not an exaggeration to say that there is nothing more important to the future of Uganda than the education of women. AFRIpads and the kits are something that we hope to continue to supply and educate about long term. And we’ll be on the look out for other ways to aid these talented, hopeful girls. Peace, Brandon At this season of Christmas we have more than many reasons to say BIG THANKS to God and to you.
When we look at our journey together for this year, we clearly see that we have accomplished tremendous things by the grace of God. So much has been done including:
On top of this non exhaustive list, God has been very good to us by:
Despite the dust it is generating, the paving road project is welcomed with great gratitude. Since 1890 the road of Ouahigua –Koro-Mopti is known as a road of fish. The Niger River provided much fish that was exported through Koro to Burkina Faso. Some time in between 1967 and 1989 this road was one of the 4 most important import-export road for our landlocked country. But again it stayed unpaved till this year. I looked at this project as too big for me to be praying for, but some time I did while going through the rough and pain passengers are submitted to. The Lord hears our unexpressed prayers, our grooming. Your prayers for us made something changed and the road is getting paved!!! It reminds me of the promise in Ezekiel 49:11; “I will make road on all my mountains. . . “ We have seen and are grateful for the great improve in Koro these few years even though the remaining path to development is long way to go. We appreciate and are thankful for your partnership with us in the year 2016 and are highly looking forward to your renewed support this coming year 2017. Please help us continue to bring bright and life saving education to kids among the most disadvantaged ones in the world. Happy New Year 2017!!! Your friend, Ibrahima |
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