Emmanuel Children's Home Report April 2026

The report seeks to inform all key stakeholders about the progress and overall operations and developments at Emmanuel Children’s Home in the period between April and June 2026. The institution’s structure, welfare and education of the children and also activities undertaken by the staff and the children, projects and achievements are covered in the report. In addition, in the report outlines the information on the donations received, income generated, expenditure incurred to ensure transparency and accountability. It also gives a glimpse on the projects implemented, activities held, meetings attended and general institutional progress and development as the institution continues to gain ground in its operation. There is a section in the report that highlights the future plans, challenges faced and offers possible solutions to ensure continuous improvement.

ACTIVITIES PROMOTING CHILD WELLBEING

From the month of April to June 2026, at Emmanuel Children’s Home, the promotion of children's well-being was championed in a number of ways. These activities foster the holistic well-being of the children as evidence of development is witnessed. The reporting period was characterized by the winter season and the commemoration of the home’s first anniversary, which was done through an open day. In the various schools that the children attend, the season was characterized by ball games and cultural activities in which some of our children took part and excelled. Weekly psychosocial meetings with the matron successfully continued during the reporting period. Different activities such as drama, poetry, dance, and music saw the participation of almost all the children. Building resilience in the children continues to be of utmost importance at the institution. In the same reporting period, horticulture has been resuscitated with the functioning of the other borehole after one board member bought a new pump to replace the one that was down. The children, together with the mothers, take time to work in their family plots during the weekends. Also, they engage in play, physical exercise, creative arts, and social interaction supports, which help them thrive in a balanced and nurturing environment while grooming talent. The social workers, Annah and Mandy, take turns attending to the children mid-week and on weekends with various activities and more. The matron also spends at least 20 hours with the children each week, addressing topical issues such as identity crisis, and drug and substance abuse.

Psychological Support (PSS)

A kids club was formed at the Home, which opens doors to some children from the community around to attend and be a part of it. Through the kids club, the children learn Bible stories, take turns to lead prayer, lead worship, and share positive experiences or testimonies to encourage one another. It is during the kids club activities where psychosocial issues needing follow-up, talent identification, and grooming are addressed, helping the children conquer their fears and focus on their strengths. The aspect of incorporating children from outside the home helps address stigma and discrimination while giving a sense of belonging to the children at the institution. The program has seen the training and equipping of peer counselors based both in the nearby community and at the Home. This helps provide counseling sessions, a safe space for children to express their emotions, and work through challenges with people of their level and in a language they understand.

Education Sessions on Social Ills

In the reporting period of April to June, the institution has also benefited from an Open School, which is being supported by Open School Worldwide. The children at Emmanuel who have been behind academically get assistance through the Open School lessons taking place twice a week at the institution. The classes have seen an improvement in most of the children who had been very much behind.

Devotion Sessions

Daily early morning prayers continue to be offered at ECH with children, godly parents, and resident staff attending, and children are involved in taking turns sharing devotional messages and leading prayer. Such a culture has been witnessed by different school authorities, e.g., Mushagashe Technical Training College, who testify that ECH children voluntarily take up responsibilities to lead Bible teachings during assembly and class meetings, which actually inspire the rest of the students. Devotion sessions provide spiritual guidance and nourishment, fostering a sense of purpose and meaning in the children's lives. Through Bible studies, prayers, and worship sessions, children develop a deeper understanding of their faith and are rooted in the word of God. The Church that meets at the institution now has the children at Emmanuel taking part in sessions such as praise and worship and testimonies in the main church service on Sundays. This can be considered a sign of spiritual growth.

Sporting Activities

The period between April and June has seen the commencement of the ball games season in different schools. A number of our children actively took part in various disciplines. Some were involved in soccer for both boys and girls, handball, netball, and cultural dances and songs. One of the children at ECH, Obedience, was named soccer player of the season at her school as she rose together with her school team to the district level, where the team came second out of six schools and could not proceed to the provincial competitions. One of the children, Junior, whom the school regarded as one of their best players, failed to take part in any level of competition due to lack of birth registration, which is a requirement within the schools for one to qualify under a certain age group and compete. At home, table tennis continues to be practiced and is progressing well. Social workers continue with ball games with the children in order to promote physical health, teamwork, and socialization.

Life Skills Training

In the reporting period, some new techniques and life skills have been introduced. These include rabbitry and child-led broiler projects. Some of the girls who have received training, Anesu, Cathrine, and Tanaka, have taken the lead in training the other children with so much passion and zeal. Also, a number of goats have been added to replace losses from the last quarter. The children have also learned a new skill of immunizing the goats and the medication by name which is used to prevent the spreading of diseases from new goats to the old herd. These skills prepare children for adulthood, enabling them to thrive in their future endeavors.

Personal Hygiene

The reporting period has seen the onset of the winter season, which resulted in some of the children not loving to take their baths. The godly parents, together with the social workers, had to help the boys understand the importance of bathing even when it is cold and doesn’t feel comfortable to do so. This also referred to the changing of undergarments by the boys. In other words, the boys need much monitoring and grooming in this regard, more than the

girls. Also, bed-wetting increased in the same reporting period. The godly mothers had to set an alarm to wake the children up so that they use the toilet before they continue with their sleep.

CHILD WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

Development is evident at the institution with the under 5s who have been attending baby clinic and immunizations show in increase in body weight and outgrowing the clothes they would easily fit in same time last year. Initially, some children had too much trauma that some into depression and some showed trauma through wayward behavior. The staff and mothers are grateful to God for the tremendous positive change on the children. Many thanks to our partners from the Great Zimbabwe University Psychology department and also Pastor and the church for counselling and prayers. Some of these children now constitute the peer counselor team and are now offering helpful counsel and constructive counsel to other children. No one would have ever imagined especially Tanaka being strong to tackle conflict or provide counselling to anyone from the condition that she was in. some children had anger issues which were problematic even at school, they would always be reports of fights and suicidal tendencies. However, the environment around them is now peaceful and sweet. A number of the children at ECH had trust issues and would find it difficult to love back anyone showing love to them, let alone showing gratitude for any acts of kindness or generosity. Today, the children are doing well in showing and expressing gratitude in very different ways be it verbally or writing notes. At church they actually race to testify of the love of God, the generosity or kindness shown to them. We sincerely thank all our donors and partners for their generous support, which plays a crucial role in sustaining mandate and ushering the children into the safe haven they have been committed to.

PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES

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In the previous reporting period, the goat project was affected with a number of them dying from a disease due to too much rain. The remaining goats have remained and 2 gave birth, while 5 new ones were added to the flock. The sheep and the piggery projects also have been thriving with one of the gilts farrowing thirteen piglets in the reporting period. The home has continued with the running projects i.e. broiler project, piggery, goat and sheep project, road runner, turkey and duck rearing projects and gardening. All the projects are thriving well. There is a new addition to the projects, which is rabbitry being manned by older children. These projects are meant to provide financial support for the home, and they increase self-reliance, self-accomplishment and improve creativity at the institution as well as provide improved nutrition as some are meant for consumption at the home. Life skills continue to be imparted in the children with the participation of all the above-mentioned projects.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS

During the month of June, ECH hosted an annual event, the Open day. With the involvement of the different partners coming to support the Home there was a lot of engagement and the partners came to appreciate the activities and everything that is being done at ECH. Different players came to display their banners, exhibiting their products most of which were then donated to the Home. New partnerships were also birthed by this event. The community came to support the event, and the children and staff showcased what they can through speech and drama. A true story, of some children who wanted the world to know the other side of life experienced by orphans was dramatized and the audience were touched by it. This was a very great sign of resilience built, seeing the children dramatizing what they went through to educate the public, when previously they couldn’t even share or explain the events. To God be the glory.

CHALLENGES FACED

There are a few challenges faced by the home in the period from April to June, and the secretariat has worked tirelessly to try and mitigate the effects of these challenges on the children. To begin with, with the coming of the winter season and the home having more children enrolled in school, there was pressure regarding warm bathing water. The area from which the home used to fetch firewood has been prohibited by Environmental Management Authorities (EMA). This, however, has been resolved by purchasing some firewood from those who sell it to heat water in drums for the kids; however, this is not sustainable, hence the need to fundraise and friend-raise for solar geysers, which are convenient and efficient.

Another challenge faced was related to the birth registration of some of the children. Sadly, these children are very talented and qualify to be in the school teams for various sporting activities, but the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Culture policy states that the availability of a birth certificate serves as proof of a student’s age group. Hence, children at ECH were disadvantaged by not having them. The secretariat continues to lobby with the Department of Social Development to facilitate the process of birth registration.

ACHIEVEMENTS & SUCCESS STORIES

One success story with the home has been the formation of kids’ clubs and training of peer counsellors. As children, they may not have adequate language to communicate certain issues to adults, but they can communicate with their peers. This has allowed the counsellors to identify certain behaviors and issues that need attention, which they then refer to the matron to be addressed. For example, one child complained of what seemed like a vaginal infection. When the peer counsellor reported the case, the issue was raised with the hospital and treatment was sought.

PLANS FOR NEXT QUARTER (October to December)

• Intensify resource mobilization

• Expand on the horticulture project with mostly cash crops

• Champion sponsor a child campaign for individual/ special needs support

• plan and organize a staff/caregiver exchange visit with Rose of Sharon (an award-winning organization)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Much acknowledgment goes to our key partners who are very supportive in advice, direction, and synergies. Also, the home has established and maintained strong partnerships with various partners, organizations, and government entities who support our operations, and this is greatly cherished. These collaborations have been instrumental in sustaining the home and promoting the well-being of the children under our care. No achievement would have been possible without external support and prayers from the church.

 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the reporting period has seen the development of ECH in a positive way as more children have been committed, have settled, and are coping well. Children have managed to be enrolled in school, many of whom have been out of school for a very long time. Stakeholders are also coming in to partner with the home to try and address the plight of the vulnerable children, which is a positive gesture. Children have shown notable improvements in their physical, academic, and emotional well-being, a reflection of the care, support, and nurturing environment provided by the home. This is evidenced by how some of our children have excelled in different faculties in their various schools. While challenges inevitably arise, the home remains proactive in identifying and implementing sustainable solutions. It is in this same period that we saw the introduction of a new sport by a new partner, which the children have embraced and are ready to excel in.

All planned activities were successfully carried out, thanks to the dedication of our staff, interns, volunteers, the resilience of the children, and the unwavering support from our partners and community. As we move forward, we remain committed to improving the quality of care and creating even greater opportunities for the children's growth and development.