April 2008: Report from CAP Ministries
MONTHLY REPORT CAP MINISTRIES PAKISTAN. APRIL 2008.
Dear friends and colleagues,
Greetings in the name of Lord Jesus Christ!
We are sending report of CAP ministries for your prayers, information and perusal.
SEMINAR AT CAT SCHOOLS.
To strengthen the teaching methodology a seminar was organized by CAP management with the collaboration of Pakistan Educational Research & Development fourm. The event took place on 05 April 2008.The Regional Manager, Muhammad Altaf Butt visited with his team and Anser Ali was the resource person. He delivered lecture on the teaching of Primary School children. He hold an excellent activity on the phonic system of Urdu and English Language during this workshop, teachers learnt so many new things. Handouts and other literature was given in the end. This organization is working with UNESCO and has designed syllabus for Primary school children. The syllabus is very good but it above the level of our children and secondly it is very costly. However, at some stage we are interested to adopt this syllabus, as we believe our poor Christian children should have right to the better quality syllabus.
CAP SCHOOLS OVERCROWDED.
This year though we were very limited to award admissions in schools but for us it is not easy to say NO to needy and deserving parents. Inspite of limited seats available we were compelled to take 105 children in Junior School No.01, 66 children in High School and 36 children in Junior School No.02.This way we admitted 207 students. And this is the volume of one school if established separately. Now we have stopped admission but pressure is mounting to take at least 100 more children but we are afraid we will not do more. Admissions are not on control now. Why is it so? We are a Christian charity giving almost free education by charging very nominal contribution of PKR 50 and still more than 50% parents do not pay anything, as they do not have. They are helpless. We are grateful to our friends. One of our guests from Release International –UK remarked, “You were using all possible resources to accommodate children and always we have seen schools full of children and no place free”
FREE BOOKS AND STATIONERY FOR CAP SCHOOL CHILDREN.
This year CAP Management provided free books and stationery to 460 poor children of CAP schools. We are grateful to our donors who supported us generously to purchase books and other material for CAP school children. This has created very good impact and parents are grateful to CAP management for making it possible for them. Mostly, every year parents come with so many requests to give books but only this year we could manage this. We hope that in future too we will get funds from supporters of CAP to distribute free books. The pressure for more admissions in school was mounted after we distributed free books among children. Now we have no stock and still parents are coming to us for books. Books were distributed in the month of April in two three instalments. However, now this has been completed. All parents are grateful for this great help.
LECTURE ON BOOK KEEPING.
Nisar Barkat, M.Com in Business & Commerce delivered a lecture to all Principals of CAP School on the issue of BOOK KEEPING. Many a time it was noticed that Principal felt it difficult to maintain petty cash even. So, on the request of CAP Management the said fellow visited us on 19 April 2008 and delivered a lecture with demonstration suing different forms and vouchers to maintain accounts books. Also, he presented sampling of accounts books to study. As CAP projects are increasing, we need to stress more on the maintaining of Accounts. Presently, we have one accountant and a clerk in CAP office and we need at least TWO more to do the ever-increasing assignments in CAP office.
IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW SYLLABUS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION.
From 01 April 2008, our own designed syllabus of Christian Education has been implemented. This is very practical and easy. Any Christian teacher can teach this very easily. We have priests from Lahore Evangelical Ministries who visit us from time to time to see the proper methodology of the teaching of this syllabus. Overall our School chaplain, Ijaz Bhatti, B.Th.is taking this responsibility of proper coverage of syllabus. We are grateful to syllabus committee for making this possible. We need to publish this syllabus; still we are using handwritten copies. Still we are working to make it more effective and practical and during the last phase of 2008 we will manage to get it printed.
MERCY MISSION CHILDREN.
They are 22 now. But average participation is 16.The focus of CAP for this programme is to educate them and equip them in a way to make them useful persons in the society. People are very poor, it is difficult for them to feed and educate their normal children and no body is caring about disable children. In Mercy Mission we prefer physically disable children. During the last year some students showed excellent progress. In the month of April all these children were provided with free books and stationery. Also, they have been provided a computer. There are two groups, senior and junior. Mercy Mission starts with prayers and terminates with prayers daily.Mr.Nobel and Mrs.Parveen Nobel are still away and for the last five months CAP management could not decided anything but sending salaries in their accounts. In future CAP has to decide something on this issue. At least we will have to appoint a teacher to replace Mrs.Parveen Nobel. Because MM children are suffering. Also, in near future we are looking to make this project a residential school, we need your prayers and support.
SUCCESS STORY OF MERCY MISSION.
Two years back we admitted a child naming UMER in Mercy Mission. He had a polio attack while he was 9 and afterward he left his regular schooling. His parents were not interested to send him anywhere for education as they thought it was difficult for him. But Mercy Mission was nearest possible institute for them and they sent Umer to MM.And in two years struggle of MM staff he was able to qualify the syllabus of class FIVE. Last month he was shifted to CAP High School. He was very welcomed by the staff of High School, given new uniform and books, now he is studying with responsibility, and there is no difference between him and other students. He is showing good progress. This is the first victory of Mercy Mission as we were able to give a streamline to disable children. Basically, Mercy Mission is not a project specified for disabled children, this is a nursery and preparatory school for these children to shift afterward to regular and normal schools of CAP Ministries.
We are struggling on some more students like SUMERA, JUNIAD AND GOHAR to make them able for normal schooling. May be in this year or so. Please keep on praying for Umer and other children of Mercy Mission being prepared of normal schooling.
TABITHA SEWING SCHOOLS OF CAP.
In two sewing projects, we have 30 girls and women from very poor background who are taking training of sewing, cutting, knitting, household and embroidery. Rukhsana a trainee from Khaliq Nagar sewing project has showed extraordinary progress and after completing three months course, she has started sewing dresses at her house. She is very happy and many a time she brings the earned money to show her instructors. She is very optimistic and wants to educate her three daughters and one son. She does not want her daughters to work like her. She wants to make them teachers and nurses.
Instructors of TSC projects are of the view that this time they had a better stuff to teach. In the month of April the staff of TSC and trainees had a high tea on 30th April. Principals of CAP Schools were invited on the occasion.Mrs.Anees Samuel, Principal, Junior School # 02 shared the word of God with trainees giving example of Tabitha from ACTS chapter 9:36 onward. After the devotion there was fun time, all women and girls enjoyed, danced and chatted so much. High tea was served and a poor Christian trainee Shabana said, “ I never taken such things in my home, I want to take some pieces of PIZA to show to my children” This innocence and poverty can be seen everywhere among Christians.
Adult Literacy instructor Mrs.Aster,told the CAP office that after three months, trainees were able to read and write their names, also, they are able to read the Bible.
PRAYER REQUESTS.
1.Affiliation of schools is under process; please keep in your prayers.
2.There is need to open a school at Sue-e-Asal, a Christian village of almost 200 families and there is no opportunity for these poor Christian people. Please pray for resources to start a small school.
3.Weather is very hot, temperature goes beyond 43 Celsius and in classes it is becoming very difficult to sit and teach. May Lord save CAP children from this hot weather.
4.For ever increasing needs of CAP projects.
5.For donors of CAP Ministries.
6.For smooth functioning of all units of CAP Ministries.
7.For CAP team to work wisely and with the fear of Lord.
Prayerfully submitted,
Kaleem Dean, Director,CAP-Ministries, Pakistan.
www.capministries.com