fromthestreets January 2016
New year, new chapter As we head into a new year it’s a great opportunity not only to look ahead, but to look back and reflect on the many ways God has blessed Pavement Project in 2015. The green bag has been a wonderful agent of change for traumatised children and young people for fifteen years. Since it all started in 2000 this vital programme has provided one-to-one counselling for over 30,000 children. This past year we have seen new workers trained, new partnerships forged and new countries being reached. As we head into the next chapter we would like to thank you for your interest, prayers and practical support.
Pavement Project
Made in the Streets Nairobi, Kenya, is home to three million people. Of these, over 60,000 are children living and working on the streets, the highest concentration of which can be found in Eastleigh, a neighbourhood situated right next to Mathare Valley – the second largest slum in Kenya. SGM Lifewords Pavement Project partners Made in the Streets (MITS) have set up a centre here and have been working with street children for 20 years, bringing the Bible’s life words into their situations. Every day, come rain or shine, they walk the streets of Eastleigh and provide first aid, food, games and counselling to the children-at-risk they meet – which is where the green bag comes in. ➤
Pavement Project is a unique Bible-based counselling process that equips children-at-risk workers all over the world to raise children’s self-worth and restore a sense of hope for the future.
Children of teenage mums at the day care center
Learning to listen SGM Lifewords Pavement Project Director, Clenir dos Santos, reflects on how the green bag impacts her interaction with children in an experience she had at church recently:
MITS have many success stories from working with the green bag. Many of the children are graduating as teachers, nurses, caterers, tailors and some have even opened their own businesses. And although these young people may be moving on from the centre, those first Pavement Project counselling sessions have put Jesus at the forefront of their lives. Peter Mkolesia, Director of Lifewords Africa, recently visited the project: “I talked to some of the boys and girls who were taken in last year, and what stood out as the most impactful experience was the green bag counselling process and the realisation that Jesus loves them!”
Children’s centre helping teenage mums attend school Teenage mums who are pregnant or already have a baby are welcomed with open arms into the MITS centre. If they demonstrate a desire to leave their lives on the street (and usually they do), they join in the programme and live with other young mothers. Their babies are well taken care of in the children’s centre while they are able to attend school and skills training. One young girl, Tamara*, said: “What impacted me most was the love shown to me and my baby. It’s given me the chance to study and improve my life. The green bag counselling session was a huge revelation to me – hearing about Jesus’ love filled a huge void in my life.”
“I was talking to people at the end of the Sunday service – that pleasant and relaxed time when the children run through the halls, laughing and playing – when I noticed a little girl, Tanya*, sitting quietly away from the other children. Confused as to why she had isolated herself from the group I went over and spoke to her. She told me that she was worried about Father’s Day and didn’t want to rehearse with the children’s choir or sing with them because she didn’t know her father. “Why can I not have a dad and be happy like the other kids?” she asked. Who would have thought that Tanya was going through such a profound crisis?
SGM Lifewords’ Pavement Project has many partners around the world that help to bring the life changing words of the Bible to traumatised street children. Please pray for all our partner organisations that they will encourage new workers to be trained, and that they will continue to share the story of Jesus in their communities.
The MITS centre is organised much like a boarding school. Every weekday starts at 8 am with chapel. Then students head to their classrooms at 9 am to begin their daily studies. In addition to education, the children learn how to live together as a family through sport, house keeping, meal preparation and various other communal activities. They are also encouraged to be active in the local church – where many of them regularly read Scripture, give talks and serve on the worship team.
We are always looking for new organisa SGM Lifewords work with existing partn
How many children carry pain around with them in secret? Most of the time they cover up how they’re feeling, and it’s not until someone is really willing to listen that they are able to open up about the things they are struggling with. Using the green bag I had the opportunity to talk to Tanya. We spoke about the absence of her father, and the presence of God the Father who will never leave her and always cares. These simple words impacted the young girl in a huge way. This is just one of the countless times the green bag has helped me introduce a child to God’s love. We need to stay tuned, paying attention to the children and adolescents around us, and make ourselves available to help them through their hardships. All we have to do is open our eyes, lean in and listen.”
Here’s what some of our partners in Latin America have to say about the green bag:
”Naomi* had a dramatic shift in attitude. She became so cheerful and happy. Her self-worth skyrocketed! Her dedication to school and homework improved greatly, and she would seek out the Pavement Project worker to pray with her when day-to-day issues became difficult.” Love Project, Rio de Janeiro.
“Andre* is a nine-year-old boy who is having great difficulty with school. He’s struggling with homework, finding it difficult to make new friends and has very little in the way of self-worth. I counselled him with the green bag and he opened up about difficulties with his family at home. This encounter has helped him to realise people do care, and that he is precious to God. He is now overcoming his learning difficulties and enjoying spending time with the other children.”
”Since the green bag counselling Gustavo* has shown great changes in his behaviour at home and school. His whole family have been impacted by the work of Pavement Project and are interested in attending church together. Gustavo recently told me he’s been reading his Bible every morning – we are so delighted that he’s chosen to follow Jesus!”
Seed House, Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro.
Life Action Association, Guarulhos, Sao Paulo.
Let us pray for all the children who are counselled with the green bag, that they will come to know the hope they have in Jesus. Please also pray for wisdom for the Pavement Project workers, that they will be in tune with children-atrisk as they endeavour to help them through their hardships. *Names have been changed in line with our child protection policy
ations to help us bring the Bible’s life words to children-at-risk around the world. Please pray for ners, and for new partnerships to be made, so that we can reach even more young people.
Yes, I/my church would like to give a gift to Pavement Project. Here’s my gift of
£
or
£75 to sponsor a bag
Name: Address: Postcode: Tel (in case of query): Email*: Signature: Date:
/
/ 20
I enclose a cheque made payable to SGM Lifewords Please debit my:
Visa
MasterCard
Maestro
CAF
Card Number Start Date
/
Expiry Date
/
( last 3 digits on back of card)
Security Code
Increase your gift by 25% IN THE £ I am a UK tax payer and wish SGM Lifewords to treat all donations I make from now on as Gift Aid donations. I understand that I must pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax* for each tax year that is at least equal to the tax that all the charities and CASCs that I support will reclaim on my donations for that tax year. Signature Date
*Other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify.
I ’d like to make a regular donation to support Pavement Project. Please send me information about regular giving. I’d like to receive From the Streets via email (please add your email address at the top of this form). Please remove me from the From the Streets mailing list. Please return to: SGM Lifewords 1A The Chandlery, 50 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7QY
For office use only FTS16-1
* By giving us your email you are giving us permission to send you information and correspondence by email. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Pavement Project is an initiative of the SGM Lifewords global family of organisations, working hand-in-hand with people and communities-in-need to help them share the Bible in a one-to-one way. Charity No. 219055. Registered in the UK.
To receive From the Streets online visit www.sgmlifewords.com/uk/get-involved/keep-touch You can also keep in touch with all the latest Pavement Project news at our Facebook page www.facebook.com/SGMLWPavementProject
Let’s keep on changing children’s stories!
Every story we hear of a young person now living out their full potential motivates us to do more. In order to reach more children with the good news of Jesus we need to train more workers, and equip them with new bags. It costs £75 to provide a new green bag for a Pavement Project worker, which will enable them to counsel dozens of children every year. Any gift you are able to give will make a difference, and help us bring the green bag to many more children who need to hear God’s love for them. You can now give online at my.give.net/ SupportPavementProject
Left to right: Luciana, Clenir dos Santos and Clesisse excited for the arrival of new green bags!
How does the green bag work? The Pavement Project green bag contains a set of colourful resources to engage children’s attention. These help them to talk about their worries and hurts by choosing pictures and making comparisons. Based on these results, the worker tells a specially chosen Bible story to show how Jesus loves them, and how they can overcome their fears and trauma. The child has the opportunity to pray to Jesus, and then describe their new feelings. Please pray that the lives of many children-at-risk will be transformed by the green bag and for the next chapter of Pavement Project’s work. As well as new bags, we are beginning to work on a prototype app to provide a digital (tabletbased) version of the Pavement Project tools. This will allow us to equip many more workers to reach many more children.
All around the world, SGM Lifewords has been helping people share God’s Word for over 125 years, and we’re still doing it today. If you love it – share it! That’s our philosophy and we hope you’ll get involved, and share the Bible’s life words where you are.
Get involved We’ve seen thousands of children counselled since the green bag started, but with your help we can introduce even more young people to this life changing resource! One way to get involved is to organise a fundraiser or prayer meeting at your church. In fact, there are loads of fun ways your community can contribute, here’s just a few starter ideas to get your creative juices flowing … ■ Cake sales – a delicious treat to follow on from a Sunday service! Plus, who doesn’t like cake?
■ Knitting for charity – easy, gratifying and sure to have everyone in stitches! Why not make your hobby a fundraiser and sell some novelty tea cosies or soft toys? ■ Give it up – for us! – give up something you like for a week (or longer!) and use the money you save to raise a few pounds. It could be anything from chocolate to your morning coffee. ■ Film night – everyone loves a good film! You could bring your church together one evening, show a movie and charge everyone a small entry fee, or invite donations.
What next? Please use the response form to let us know if you would like to sponsor a green bag. If you would prefer to throw a fundraiser to raise money, you can set up your own page via JustGiving.
Don’t forget to send us photos and stories from your fundraising events on social media or by email – we’d love to share them to inspire others to do the same.
Don’t forget you can watch videos of SGM Lifewords work with street children and see the green bag in action at youtube.com/Lifewords.
Two young boys from Life Action Association in Sao Paulo after being counselled with the green bag
SGMLIFEWORDS
SGM_Lifewords
Lifewords
SGM Lifewords 1A The Chandlery, 50 Westminster Bridge Road, London se1 7qy T: 020 7730 2155 E: uk@sgmlifewords.com Registered Charity No. 219055