Wellness Wednesday is one of the ways FOA shows its practical heart of compassion for kids living on the streets.
Wellness Wednesday has become one of our most popular and beneficial programmes. We’d love to share with you a little about what it is all about…
It is especially for people like Joyce that Wellness Wednesday exists . There is so much hope found in second chances, and third chances… and forth chances… and this is the heart of Wellness Wednesdays.
Wellness Wednesday happens every week and it is open to all the children we meet in the street. They come to rest, play, eat nutritious food, take a clean shower and wash their clothes. FOA provide toiletries so they can take a shower in fresh water, and washing soap to wash their clothes. On the streets it is often difficult for them to wash their clothes, and hanging them up is another challenge - finding a safe place to hang them where they won’t be stolen is difficult. So each week when they come to Norviwo for Wellness Wednesday they can safely wash and dry their clothes. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided, plus plenty of clean drinking water.
The day provides the perfect opportunity for teaching sessions on topics like drugs and substance abuse, sex education and other relevant issues. There is also lots of time for fun! Volleyball and football have been a huge hit lately, with the kids (and staff!) becoming very competitive! Card games, Ludo and board games are also popular.
Usually about 15-20 kids come on Wednesdays, so together with the kids who are living at the center there is quite a crowd! The day is organized between 9am and 4pm, and gives them a chance to chat with staff and build relationships. Over time this develops relationships with children who are showing interest in coming off the streets. It also serves well to maintain the relationships with children who have runaway from the center, some on multiple occasions. It is a structured way of having an open door to those who want to stay connected with FOA, even if they are not ready to commit to moving in and leaving the streets. Each child is given a small stipend to help them make the time to come and be free from making money on the streets that day.
If you are interested in helping out on Wellness Wednesdays, please do get in touch! We’d love to hear about a teaching session you could offer, or maybe you just want to join a game of volleyball with the kids! Either way we would love to have you join us! Let us know when you would like to come!
We are also always in need of soap and toiletries, snacks and provisions for this day, so do let us know if you would like to donate in any way to Wellness Wednesdays! Give us a call!
