The Vreed-en-Hoop Wesleyan Church continued its ten-year-old commitment of extending goodwill to the pupils of the Vreed-en-Hoop Primary school during the Christmas season.
The church established a relationship with the primary school by adopting it in 2007. This led to the introduction of a ‘feeding programme’ for about thirty-five students initially. The children who benefit from this programme are chosen from underprivileged homes.
This programme is managed by the church’s Social Care Department and the students were handpicked by the school’s administration and were served hot and healthy meals every Friday.
Today the feeding programme caters to more than 150 children each week. Seven years ago the church added to its ministry at the Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School by giving gifts to each of the school’s 750 children at Christmas.
On Wednesday, the acts of giving and receiving were expressed with joy and gladness as many little ones squealed with delight and showed off their blessings to each other.
The Vreed-en-Hoop Wesleyan Church also nourishes the children through moral education, Vacation Bible School during the August break and guidance and counseling.
These programmes have been recognized as a necessary component of the children’s development, adding value to the quality of their lives. The Church’s ministry to the school also encourages the parents and teachers with their roles of molding the children minds.
In the meantime, the Church is in the process of establishing a state of the art facility for after school academic support, skills training and recreation which is intended to respond to other needs of the Vreed- en- Hoop community and its environs. The objective of the recreational and after school programmes is to provide services that enhance the quality of life for children on the West side.
According to the church, Vreed-en- Hoop is an expanding community of huge potential and is buzzing with activities from various sectors of the economy. The Church has recognized this and it intends to fulfill its obligations to the community by supporting sustainable development within the region.
The Church believes that education is the key to success and will continue to focus its efforts on moulding the minds, changing hearts and building bridges with the people in the region.
