The events of the week at Omni site has been as follows:

OMNI LAND
As of Thursday, March 1 we have hired a bricklayer to construct pillars for OMNI LAND beacons so that the beacons are visible to all. This is very important because we have had a lot of people purporting that the City Council has given them part of land that already belong to Omni. The estimated cost of the work will be K1m. I have already purchase 3 bags of cement using grinding mill funds.

OMNI FUNDS
According to Mr. Gosavi, the mosquito nets in Chemopharm are at K54,000 each and 200 nets will cost K10,800,000. They are not in stock but is making arrangement by next week will buy them.

Teddy would like to pay Exam center for 7th Graders which K1,650,000.

Our next school food purchase will be March 8, hence we shall need funds wired. Please note that each school food consignment is now K4m. Kapenta is now at K70,000 from K65,000 per measure and other increments in food prices.

Prepared by: Pastor Osward
Social Services Director
OMNI, Ndola.

Dear Karen,

All is well at school.

FOODSTUFFS
We received the following foodstuffs on 13/2/12 to take us up to 24/2/12:

1.   30 litres cooking oil
2.    10kg salt
3.     12 gallons kapenta
4.    11x25kg bags of mealie meal
5.    onions, tomatoes and veges
6.     5 sacks of soya chunks
7.     5x350g dish paste
8.     2x2litrs orange juice
9.      25kg powdered milk
10.      40 bars of washing soap
11.     30kg buka fish
12.     8 gallons of beans

ILLNESSES/INJURIES
No major illnesses nor injuries were recorded during the week.

ATTENDANCE/ABSENTEEISM
Goodson and Innocent don’t come to school.

SCHOOL DELIVERIES
100 plastic plates
114 plastic cups
10×16 cases of cotton wool

TEACHERS
All the teachers are doing very good in their duties.

TOTAL SCHOOL POPULATION
Boys are 100 and girls are 96, making a total of 196 students.

Blessings,
Teddy

Dear Karen,

The school is doing fine and the lessons are going on very well. All the teachers are very fine.

FOODSTUFFS
On the 23/01/12 we received the following foodstuffs;
1-30litres cooking oil
2-10kg salt
3-12 gallons kapenta
4-8 gallons beans
5-11 bags of mealie meal
6-onions,veges and tomatoes
7-5 sacks of soya chunks
8-30 kg buka fish
9-5×350 dish paste
10- 25kg powdered milk
11-40 washing bars
12-2x2litres orange juice

ATTENDANCE
The attendance in general has been very good. Most students have reported, only 1 hasn’t.

ILLNESSES/INJURIES
No illness nor injury was recoded.

Sincerely,
Teddy

Dear Karen,

Things at the site are all fine.

The kid’s attendance has been excellent ever since School opened.

The chickens are doing very fine Mr. Ngonga reported.

Items needed

The school needs the following for needle work project

·         12 Cases of black colour cotton

·         12  // orange

·         12 // white

·         12 // green

·         12 // red

·         5  // brown

·         5 // pink

·         4 // hooks

In service,

Charles

Dear Karen,

I am very glad to inform you that the results for the 7th graders are out. We have recorded another 100% pass rate, all the students who wrote the national examination have been selected to 8th grade.

I am also glad to inform you that our student ASHO KASONGO, came second out of 254 students who wrote the exam at that school.
Most of our students have done extremely well. Asho told me that he wants to go to a boarding school.

Seasonal greetings,
Teddy

Dear Karen,

The children started having the meals on wednesday 14th. We are also cleaning the school premises with them.
Here is a list of the foodstuffs purchased on tuesday 13th.

1. 12 gallons kapenta
2. 40 bars chick soap
3. 8 gallons of beans
4. 30 litres cooking oil
5. 10 bags of mealie meal
6. 4 litres orange juice
7. 5 sacks of soya chunks
8. 25 kg powdered milk
9. 25 kg buka fish
10. 5x200g axion dish paste
11. veges, tomatoes and onions
12. 10 kg salt

Some children have already gone for holidays, but those who are around are the ones who’ve been coming.

Thank you,
Teddy.

Dear Karen,

It is my obligation to make sure that I do as directed by you. I want to assure you that the children will get all the things which you have outlined for them.

They will have a hot meal with chicken, get toys, fruits and candies.

We are done with quotations and the purchase will be done next week.

Actually, each child will get an apple,an orange, a banana, candy and a toy.

We thought of purchasing a small decorated Christmas tree for the school.

There will be Bible reading from Pastor Oswald.

Sincerely,

Teddy.

Dear Karen,

I hope and pray that you are well. Finally the vehicle fitness exam was done on Tuesday Dec. 13th. And that means we are now legal on the road. This very day I had Teddy with me and so we bought school food right away. Thus, the feeding program is on and the kids are coming to the site. They look very happy.

Besides eating, the kids helped pick up papers, and do some very light work of cleaning up, at the same time the teacher taught some of the kids that they know are slow learners. They did some revision of previous school work to help the kids catch up.

Sincerely,
Pastor Osward

On December 23rd, there will be a Christmas Party for the students at the OMNI School. In addition to a hot meal for all of the children, they will receive gifts of fruit and “sweeties,” Zambian slang for candy.

The school has close today Friday 2nd of December 2011 and will reopen on Monday January 9th 2012.
The students performance in the just ended end of year assessments was very good.

Teachers are doing very good, Violet is also coping up with her work.

ILLNESSES/INJURIES
No injuries nor major illnesses were recorded. As of today, all the students are very fine.

ATTENDANCE/ABSENTEEISM
The attendance in general has been very good.

We agreed to have Christmas party for the kids on Friday. December 23.

Thank you so much for all the support.

Seasonal greetings,
Teddy.

Dear Karen,

OMNI KIDS:
Creaness, a grade one student, was vulnerable but is now both vulnerable and a single orphan since her father died this year. As of Dec.1,2011, Creaness is on antibiotics, vitamin B and panado for yellow fever (prescribed at Children’s Hospital). Besides the meds she was told to drink sugar solution to help clear her system and the yellow pigment in the eyes. So I bought her a 2kg packet of sugar at K15,000. This last school term her attendance has been poor. As a matter of fact, her test results do not allow her to proceed to 2nd grade. Until the elder sister to Creaness’ mother was informed of the situation. That is when Creaness was moved to live with the aunt. This aunt is 33 years old married with 4 children of her own. She lives away from George. The husband is a farm worker. Eating, bedding, and clothing for Creaness is very difficult. However, Creaness is one of the OMNI kids whom we bought shoes and have a hot meal at OMNI shcool. Creaness is at high risk of child abuse and neglect by surviving parent. My recommendation is to carry out home assessment and have her enlisted on OMNI home feed program.

Further, X, a first grader, did miss some days for tests this term which ended on Dec.2nd 2011. He was absent due to clinic appointments for HIV meds and reviews. I will conduct further investigation on the matter. The boy seems to be doing well and has a caring family.

Honester’s mother reported to me that Honester has not performed well at school and that she wont proceed to fifth grade. Her grades are average. However, her mother’s concern is that Honester has an eyesight problem. The mother has observed this at home. My recommendation is to have a talk with Honester and then have an eye examination at the hospital.

Blessings,
Oswald Kaputu

Another OMNI program is to ensure that students at the OMNI school continue to have enough food throughout the year. Charles, OMNI administrator, delivers the food in person using OMNI trucks–vehicles that have some repair scheduled.

Dear Karen,

I just came from the site. I was out delivering food to the kids who are here in monthly feeding program at OMNI. I purchased their food according to what their sponsors give.

We were supposed to work on the vehicles by tomorrow, but I don’t think that will happen due to all the meetings. I THINK Monday will be the best since school is closing tomorrow.

More update later,
Charles