Visit from the State Ministry of Education

Officials from the Abia State Ministry of Education came by to inspect our school Homestead Alternative Academy. Perhaps it was due to our coming in second place in the private school competition held recently in the State. We are pleased to report that they were very happy for the work we are doing in the school, educating not our own TWCF Children’s Home children , but now opening seats to children in the community to attend. They were very pleased with our system of classes, teaching instruction, elective opportunities, and social emotional learning. They were also very impressed with our collaborative learning process of meeting students where they are at to ensure learning out comes.

Mr. Amos Antoka, one of our TWCFN Directors and our Abia State Site Manger, along with our Office Manger Gideon (HeavyD), and Principal Victoria, offer incredible oversight and hands-on work with our teachers and children to ensure our Homestead learning environment is one of collaboration, peace, joy, and learning. Their hard work of setting-up learning, which incorporates Canadian, American, and Nigerian curriculum, offers a wide variety of lessons and learning opportunities for the students which invite curious questions, personal and shared learning, and positive attitudes toward education.

Farm Rewards!

Look at these amazing cucumber vines! We are so impressed with the staff and children’s farming. Not only have they worked hard to plant, tend and grow various crops throughout the seasons, they also have incredible fun doing it while learning useful life skills.

Snack time at Homestead Alternative Academy was filled with all kinds of crunchiness this week! Thank TWCF staff and children for your farming to provide fresh healthy snacks for all your classmates at school.

Big News for Homestead!!!

We are so excited to announce that this year, Homestead Alternative Academy, opened up seats in the school for community children to attend. Forty (yes 4-0!) new children were added to our school grades, between Kindergarten and Grade 7, some classes saw lots of intakes, and others just a few. There was great excitement both in TWCF children and staff with adding new students, as well as in the community once they heard we opened enrolment. There was a mob at the gate with many families jousting and vying for their children to attend, and while the number accept seemed low to the community, it is a huge difference and undertaking for TWCF and for the Homestead Teachers and Students.

Once the forty new students were accepted and starting day came around, there was great excitement in the compound, which took a couple weeks for everyone to settle into new rhythms with new friends/classmates and into routines of learning.

Christmas 2021

A full house, with staff, family members, close friends, and children (most of whom are now taller than our Christmas tree!) Still, there is always an atmosphere of excitement and joy on Christmas morning at TWCF. I think we will need to get a bigger tree next year, to fit everything underneath. It was a wonderful holiday period this year, with lots of crafts, singing, sports activities, and cooking. The children continue to cherish the holiday time, offering songs and drama’s at their church as well as in the house for each other.

Our sons are growing so big, getting tall, becoming stronger, braver, funnier, more filled out, expert footballers, wonderful helpers…and as you can see dashingly handsome. Each one of these amazing fellas (including our two Angels Mike and Gabe who are not in the picture), bring so much joy, so much wisdom, and so much laughter in to the TWCF home. Our hearts and home would not be the same if even one of them was missing. We are so blessed that their lives have come to be part of TWCF.

Our fabulous daughters, shining in their Nija print Christmas dresses! How bold, bright, and beautiful are they… and these dresses are a true reflection of the indomitable spirits of our girls. Bold and courageous, bright and full of joy, beautiful on the inside and out. TWCF is blessed by their kind hearts, eager brains, and helping spirits!

Sunday School Champions!

A Sunday School competition  held in the summer, with a focus on the Bible book of Daniel. Our children were very eager to participate and try there hand in competition against other children. Several of our children were selected to represent TWCF in the competition, and all our children studied and practiced together.  The first competition was held in our local government area, where children from all surrounding church and school groups came together. Our children won FIRST Prize out of several hundred children!

The second part of the competition was held for the whole northern part of Abia State, and was to be held in Umuahia, our capital city. Our children entered the second competition, representing the youngest children in the whole competition out of thousands of children, and came in 6th place. They were given notice for their young age, their most perfect english, and their responses in full sentences. Everyone was amazed. We are so proud of them, and more importantly, the children were proud of themselves and each other for doing so well and being so brave!

Our School!!

We are excited to announce the formalization of TWCF’s school “Homestead Alternative Academy”! We have been in discussions with the Abia State Ministry of Education for two months have initiated application to formally register.  with the State.  The Ministry sent a delegation to visit to our home and upon seeing the children both in the home and in  three classroom settings that we have, we received rave reviews, and have their full support.  The Education Ministry is excited about our unique approach to schooling. We are now awaiting our official registration process were we will official in a few weeks time. This is a big step for us, not only did we initially received recognition document from The Abia State Ministry of Education.  We  continue to enjoy a fabulous working relationship with Abia State Women’s Affairs and are so grateful to all those who have helped us in this process. We know our children are so beautiful and precious and we have desired to set up a alternative school that takes into account the holistic care and teaching that they need on their journey to rehabilitation and healing. Every day we continue to be amazed at their progress, and give glory to God for it all.

Chickens!

Before Mummie Canada and I arrived in the village we had two chickens, one rooster and 7 chicks. By the time we did arrive, there were 3 chicks, and over the last few weeks there are no longer any chicks! The crows and vultures had discovered the chicken restaurant in our compound and sneakily snatched away all our babies! We tried to save those last three as best as possible however the flying thieves were too much for us to handle. We know have 5 new chicks getting ready to hatch any day, and thanks to our new chicken coop in the works will do our best to help them grow up!!

We are working on growing our chicken numbers so that we might get some good layers on our hands! We are going through 3dozen in less then a week (it covers three meals, boiled eggs or omelettes). We hope to eventually start saving a big of money in the egg department by laying our own. When we are feeling a bit more successful we will begin to explore the idea of adding two goats to our little “farm” in the compound. Our farm, as the children call it, is the area we have planted corn, some few yam and cassava, groundnuts, basil, avocado tree, vegetable leaves, and a few other things. We hope to continue adding to it over time. We are experimenting with what can grow in our very sandy/clay-like soil, that won’t be demolished by bugs, monsoon rain or intense heat.

Renovation time

It has been a very busy last few weeks! The renovations and house maintenance has commenced. There has been mass time spent fixing beds and shelving, organizing storage for everything in the house, building a new clothesline (again), knocking a wall out in the guard house, working on the vehicles and gen, new chicken coop in the works, adjusting the always flooding compound water way issue, and more! Daddy Canada and Amos, will help from some of the older boys have been hard at work to make some much needed changes in the house and compound. We also have some plumbing underway and hope to bring our toilet count back up to three again! Our Terrano has finally been towed to the city to have the much needed repairs. We are excited and hoping these changes will make a difference in the cleanliness and orderliness of the house for daily routines and living!

Daddy Canada

Steve ‘Daddy Canada’ landed safely in Nigeria 11 days ago and has now been at the children’s home for 5 days. He was welcomed with great excitement and love by all the children and staff. A great many things have changes since his last vist a year ago, when we only had 4 children! So there were lots of new faces and names to learn, hugs to give out, and hands to shake. We have all been busy since arriving, and Daddy Canada’s presences increases the workload of things to be done around the house now that he is here. The chicken coop needs alterations, the rooms rearanged, new shelving/closet spaces, storage arrangements, the gen needs fixing, the Nissan needs assessment before a mechanic is sought, mosquito nets need fixing and moving, the guard house/school class needs fixing, and the house needs great adjustments in regard to lighting, storage, plumbing, space, etc. Slowly but surely we are all chipping away at these things among the daily routines. Daddy Canada will also take on teaching some of our staff training sessions, as we continue to teach the staff in proper parenting, teaching, relationships, behaviour managment/modification, positive role modeling, attachment/bonding, and so on.

*Needed: International Volunteer Teachers and…

***We, The Wanted Children Foundation, are looking for two individuals to come and serve/volunteer with us in Nigeria, in our extremely RURAL village area, and work with our orphaned children for a duration of no less then 1yr, preferably 2yrs with possibility of renewal each year:

Either a married couple or two individuals who are either both teachers, or one is a teacher and the other is in mental/physical health profession (pediatric nurse/physiotherapist/massage therapist…etc)
(If married couple you are NOT planning on having children during your time with us.)
Teacher(s) must be extremely competent in curriculum from kindergarten – grade 12 (whether BC, NS, or United States). Must be flexible to adapt various Nigerian curriculum/lessons/culture (we will help/train you) into teaching. Must have several years experience teaching. Must have experience working with Learning Assistance or Special Education, must know how to write and follow IEP’s and do assessments. Teachers must be able to teach Christian curriculum, understand and value our rules and expectations. Must be relational and social, must be strict yet understanding. You will be working with children who ALL have behavior challenges and vast learning issues due to the traumatic histories they have. You also will be working with staff and with a specific staff member appointed to you as an understudy.
Person who is a health professional must have education, further training and experience in pediatric health and/or mental health. Not only do all children need support, there are specific children with disabilities and need regular concentrated support. You also will be appointed an understudy. Must be compassionate, patience, flexible, joyful, understanding, relational and love children.

If YOU, or someone you know are interested, please contact us here at TWCF. We want to hear from you asap. We will host interviews for possible candidates. Go to our website, use the online submission form or email.
www.thewantedchildrenfoundation.org
Also, you can email thewantedchildren@gmail.com
Thanks!
Looking forward to hearing…