A Journey of Hope and Change

Project Held has had a wonderful journey, in which we have been able to help and encourage many people and make a lasting difference. By handing out hot meals, providing food parcels and simply giving a hug or a smile, we have experienced how small gestures can have a huge impact.

One of the main pillars of this trip was to gather information for a special project that we want to support: the tea housesThese tea houses offer employment to an average of 13 people who, for various reasons, have difficulty accessing the labour market. Think of people with a physical disability, limited education or a residential location far from employment.

The tea houses can be a solution for many families, because they give them the chance to become self-sufficient. Moreover, because participants can pay back their deposit after a few years, it becomes possible to offer the same chance to new people again and again.

All in all, this trip was valuable and special, with an impact that will last a long time.

(To ensure the privacy of those involved, we will only share limited photos and reporting.)

Want to know more about this trip? Please contact us via info@projectheld.nl.

Salem Camp Report

What a fantastic time we had at the Salem camp with about 300 children! Salem means 'to be at peace' and 'to be at rest' – a place where you can receive, leave all the misery and problems behind for a while and enjoy the moment.

Arrival and set-up

Wednesday was all about setting up and making sure all the kids arrived safely at camp. The days before it had rained heavily, making the roads bad and difficult to drive on. But as always: when no road is good, you pick the best of the worst!

The children were transported in large, open box trucks – something you would never see in the Netherlands. Through deep holes full of water and ditches we made our way to the camp. Eventually all the children arrived safely at their destination.

The camp revolved around four themes: Make a connection, Forming a Unity, To be of service, and Creativity and sportsEach theme was central on a different day, with activities tailored to it.

Rain, but also joy

The first morning it kept raining, which reminded us of last year when children got sick due to the continuous rain and the outbreak of diseases. Fortunately, the weather cleared up after half a day this time, and we could really start the camp.

An unforgettable experience

Delicious meals were prepared on a wood fire, there was lots of music and African dancing - the kids went wild! From football and volleyball games to stage performances and a movie night with popcorn, everything was covered to give the kids a memory for life.

Gratitude and lasting impact

We look back with immense gratitude to everyone and everything that made this camp possible in any way. Friendships for life were made, and the themes of the camp left lasting impressions.

For a day-to-day report, check out our Facebook and Instagram accounts. Below you will find a photo collection of the activities and beautiful moments.

Project Hero journey

Project Hero visits projects. It is essential to visit our projects regularly. This strengthens the relationship and facilitates cooperation. The request from one of our sponsors to visit Mozambique and South Africa together was a blessing for both sides.

South Africa

No sooner said than done. June 14th was the day. A two-week trip was planned. After a tiring but successful flight we arrived in Johannesburg.

Corrie Ockhuysen from the Iris Min. project in Matola also landed in Johannesburg a few hours earlier and was already waiting for us. Not much later we were able to go to our accommodation together where we could rest from our trip and get to know each other a little (Corrie and traveling companions).

The next morning we had to get up early, because the bus to the northeast of South Africa left at 8 am. A journey of more than 6 hours with breaks across South Africa. We would stay in a Lodge for the first few days where we would spend a few days together and discover the beauty of South Africa. After a few days we traveled to Tzaneen, a small town about an hour and a half drive from where we were. Tzaneen a place where both wealth and poverty are close together.

We support in South Africa Tshega , a Christian movement in which a school, assistance to the elderly and assistance to the nearby village are the main pillars. With Project Held we support the food program there. These are children who live in the nearby village, are very poor and whose father is often out of the picture. The children can go to school, but they do need school materials for that. This is provided by Tshega. There is nothing besides school.

Thanks to the food program, these children receive a hot meal every day, they meet together and they receive help with homework. Fun activities are also organised. The children receive a gift twice a year (Christmas and Easter) and every year they receive a costume and books that they need for school. Without this help, they cannot participate in education because these items are mandatory.

During the days we were there, our team went to a bread factory with these children. There the children received education about hygiene, what it takes to bake bread and how a factory works. Before we reported to the factory, we went to KFC with the 40 children to eat an ice cream and order food for the afternoon. For the children something they had never had before. Some had never even been to the city before. Even the toilet was an attraction for them and a large queue emerged in front of the toilets. Running water from a tap and a toilet to sit on was something that was completely new to many. Then on to SUNBAKERY the company which would give us an insight into the factory. The children were welcomed like princes and princesses and at the end of the ride they all received a fabric bag with a water bottle, bread, cap and much more. The children were so happy and surprised and the KFC made the day unforgettable for the children. We ate this somewhere near a park.

We also brought items for the children from Project Held, which we brought the next day, as they had already received so much. When we arrived at the village, the first children quickly gathered and the fanfare went quickly, so they were in front of us in no time (after all, it was holiday time).

First we sang together, presented a piece of gospel and then gave everyone a Hero package with socks, underwear and something tasty. It is now winter in South Africa and it can be around 10 degrees at night. A pair of warm socks would be nice. Then we went to a group of elderly people in the neighborhood who, despite their physical complaints and hopelessness, come together every day to sing, dance and socialize, after which they eat a hot meal together. (The “cuisine” was given by Tshega). We sang together, danced and at the end prayed for them using a fire tunnel.

After this wonderful time, including a tour of the school, Basadi the sewing project for the widow and wonderful conversations with Ellanie and her team, we headed back to Johannesburg to take the plane to Maputo the next day. We leave behind us a time with a golden edge.

Mozambique

After a short flight we land in Maputo around 3:00 PM. After purchasing our visa at the border with Corrie as an interpreter, we could go straight to Iris Min's bus. Matola who was eagerly waiting for us. A beautiful one-hour drive follows in which you can clearly see the difference between South Africa and Mozambique. We are not so much talking about nature, but mainly about how people live. Mozambique lives on the streets. Dirt, plastic and waste everywhere, much less in South Africa. It is also winter in Mozambique, but with a pleasant temperature of about 25 degrees for us. When you arrive at the center of Corrie Ockhuysen you will be welcomed by all the children present with an unambiguous VISITA!!!! They absolutely love visitors and you will be welcomed with great joy! After giving everyone a hug and seeing recognition in children who are now young adults, we retreated to our guesthouse for a while.

About the guesthouse. The Corrie team worked very hard for 30 days to build a pleasant house on a piece of land. Since the house is still bare (no cupboards and/or hooks for clothing and belongings), you can see that a lot of hard work has gone into. There are curtains, a mat on the floor and a nice bed has been prepared for us. Of course with mosquito net. Big thanks to everyone who worked on this.

What more could one wish for? After putting our things in place and walking around the house and grounds of Corrie (on which this guesthouse is located), it was time to eat. We did this most times at the center. Just eat whatever the children and “mothers” eat. Rice with some vegetables was on the menu. By the way, we were very lucky during our trip since it is June and June 1 is Children's Day. This means that throughout the month of June, various organizations will visit these types of centers with chicken, beef, potatoes and gifts to celebrate Children's Day.

To avoid making the report too long, we have highlighted a few highlights. If you would like to read the long version, I would like to refer you to a day-by-day Polarsteps report via this link.

link to polarsteps

During our stay we got to know the children better, heard poignant stories about children's origins and situations that they still have to deal with, but we also had a lot of fun, playing the same games every day such as peek-a-boo, clapping hands in a circle and others. played games that you can play if you don't really understand each other. Because Mozambique is a Portuguese colony and the children speak little English. We were lucky that our traveling companion spoke a fair amount of Portuguese, which the children thought was fantastic.

*During the trip we visited the garbage dump where we sang together, magnified God and tried to bring hope into the lives of these people. At the end of the morning, 10 people gave their lives to the Lord.

*For example, we organized a children's afternoon at a nearby village with singing, games and a drama about a Bible story in which Jesus was tempted in the desert. These children are also exposed to different temptations every day, how do you deal with them and what are good choices. In it we referred to the Cross and that God as Father takes care of them. Don't be tempted by stealing, drugs or burglary, but watch WWJD or, What would Jesus Do!

*We visited the boys' home for “children” aged 18 and over. In Africa it is no longer allowed to live within a center once you turn 18. For example, a church in Switzerland has placed a house for older boys where these young people form a small community together. They grow their own vegetables, have a chicken hotel (although the chickens are still missing, but it was also recently built), and we brainstorm together how they can become even more self-sufficient, so that they can ultimately support themselves without help.

*We also did various jobs in and around the center. It has been painted, the playground equipment has been restored, mirrors have been hung, a number of toilets have been made (from 3 pieces of toilets to 1 working one again) and some other jobs in between.

*We visited the project in Machava (Iris Min. Machava) for 2 days, also one of the projects supported by Project Held. We had a lovely time. Played games with the children and received a tour of the grounds. Together with Sarah we did some shopping for the children and gave them balls and treats and made it a lovely afternoon.

Everything happens differently in Africa than here in the west, and at a pace that we are not used to. For example, you spend a whole morning in a store doing purchases such as paint. This is mixed outside on the sidewalk by adding small bottles of food coloring to white paint. When the white paint has not really changed yet and more than 10 bottles have already gone into the pot of paint, you discover that all the dye has fallen to the bottom and has not ended up in the pot of white paint. Oh well, you settle for being in Africa and together we poured turpentine (it was removable paint) into the bottles and mixed the food coloring with the pot of white paint until we got close to the color we wanted.

This way you will also understand much better what our projects involve. The internet, for example. Sometimes it does this, sometimes it doesn't. In addition, this is the same with electricity, so if both are working well you can do some things via the internet, but if one of them fails for a while you are forced to pick it up again at another time and you have to remember where you were working on and don't forget it later. This is the same with food, drinks, ordered items, etc. you make appointments and if you are lucky, the appointment goes as discussed, but 9 out of 10 times something does not arrive, is too late or the person is no longer even available.

Yet a lot is going well! For example, the geyser that we purchased so that there would be hot water for the young children to wash themselves in the morning was delivered the next day (as agreed), now the plumber still has to come to pull the pipes so that the dangerous situation of setting up large pans for hot water at 3 am is no longer necessary.

In addition, the older children of the project helped us with cleaning, painting, repairs, etc. It is great to see how eager they are to learn and also want to contribute something to their own center. In short, we had a wonderful, special time and Corrie was completely happy with everything that was done, both in her house and around it, as well as in the center. We have gained great respect for how she has worked for these children for years who would have been left to fend for themselves without her.

If you have been deeply touched after reading and would like to go on a trip to one of our projects, please send an email to info@projectheld.nl and we can look together at how we can tackle this further, so that we provide warm support for Project Held's projects.

Sponsor meets sponsor child

Sponsor's story

We were also in Uganda a few years ago, but unfortunately I was not able to meet her then, while the rest of the Held team did speak to her. She was then very disappointed that I could not be there.

Of course we wrote to each other regularly and talked about our common hobby: cooking.

The moment the door opened and a very enthusiastic child flew around my neck was very emotional

The meeting

Fifteen minutes before the agreed time, I received a phone call from the Netherlands that my father had just passed away. Although this was not entirely unexpected, it still touches you. When we were waiting at the agreed place a little later and the van from the children's home arrived, the tension was palpable. The moment the door opened and a very enthusiastic child flew around my neck was very emotional, for both of us. We had some time to talk and get to know each other a little better. I noticed that she was a very intelligent girl who got good grades in school and had great ambitions to go to college.

When we had to say goodbye, she pushed a note into my hands in which she thanked me, among other things, for believing in her and making it possible for her to study and have a future. It was then that I really realized that by supporting her, I was not only making sure she has food and shelter, but that my modest contribution makes a difference of life and death for her, of a hopeful future instead of a life of poverty and hopelessness.

Mission trip Uganda (Part2)

One of the major investments you can make for a project is to visit it. When you visit, you can see how the project is progressing, where the need is greatest and what they encounter on a daily basis. You also get to know the children well with their own characters and background. At the same time, you can encourage and help people running the project with the daily challenges.

With this in mind, a small team traveled to Uganda to visit the projects there. Both Foodstep and Iris Ministries Uganda were visited and the journey went even further north to Gulu, a place where we ran a campaign several years ago and kept in touch with the team there and after all this time we now have a visited.

Iris Ministries Uganda:

The center led by Carolyn Figlioli started in South Sudan. During the war many children became orphaned or fled from the dangerous situation during the war that caused them to lose their parents. At that time, the children were taken care of at the center of Iris Ministries South Sudan. They stayed there until the bullets actually flew around the building so that they had to flee. With more than 125 children they fled to a neighboring country Uganda. This was many years ago and they have been living in Uganda ever since. The youngest is now 6 years old and many of the older children are now at the boarding school. There, too, the major challenge is tuition. This has become much more expensive since Covid, but since the children were not allowed to go to school for 2 years because of the lockdown, they have fallen behind and the motivation is greater than ever! For the past two years, God has done a miracle and made it possible for them to now have their own center with new buildings, a piece of land where they can grow and keep goats and chickens themselves. That does not alter the fact that every day is a challenge to meet all costs.

During our visit we had loom straps (always nice), crayons, puzzles and balloons. The boys played soccer with the new ball and everyone could join where he/she liked it. Sunday was the church service and one of the participants shared a word about the father heart of God. That He is love and always wants the best for you. The service was well organized and the kids host it together. The worship, the speaker, the testimonies (which is an important part of the service) and the offering. All people and children from the area are welcome and it is a big party.

Thanks to a generous donor we were able to give a water container for the police station so that women and children who are not safe on the street have fresh water and can wash, drink, prepare food, etc. without running the risk of being arrested by those who it's after them. How beautiful is that! All in all beautiful blessed days but unfortunately it was over after two days. One of the participants did see his sponsor child on the way back from Gulu. Always a beautiful special moment.

Mission trip Uganda (part 1)

food step:

Foodstep has its location in Entebbe in the middle of the village where children are taken care of and live who come from what shall we say, quite a painful background. Some of the children come from a children's prison, what they call a rehabilitation center in Uganda. These children are brought to this center after they have fled and live on the streets, or when they have stolen something (sometimes only a banana to survive), or have used abuse or violence. However, the way they want to teach these children "the good" is not the way that works. Fear, violence and punishment do not bring out the best in children. Finally, Foodstep has already “liberated” many children from the center by consulting with the director. In addition, the center is already so much better than in the beginning. Thanks to the Foodstep team, beds have been installed, it is reasonably clean and the children are allowed to go outside during the day instead of just behind bars.

In addition, Foodstep is often called by the police if children have been abused (both physically and mentally), they are no longer safe in the current situation or the parents have rejected the children. We'll spare the awful details here.

Foodstep's big challenge is school fees. You pay a contribution per child for each semester so that they can go to school. If payment is not made, the children are taken out of school. In addition, due to Covid-19 and the sponsors lost as a result, the daily costs for clothing, food and hygiene are a major challenge.

During the time the team was there, repairs were made to the fence (this was a government requirement in order to remain an NGO), specific parts for the students such as sewing machine, bicycle and toolbox were given and all children had nice gifts to play with. In addition, all children have received a new plate, cup and cutlery so that they can at least eat from one plate. Maybe a drop in the ocean, but gives a boost in the right direction again.

Mission trip Kosovo 2022

From July 15 to July 22, Project Held is on a mission trip to Kosovo. The purpose of the trip is to support the local population with hot meals or other needs and to visit and encourage the families of Project Held's children.

Friday 15 and Saturday 16 July:

After a tiring flight and overnight stay in Gjakove, a visit to Klina was planned for Saturday. While visiting a local church and after a good worship time, one of the team members spoke. After the shared word, several people came forward for prayer. A special time.

After lunch a family was visited where a children's afternoon was held. One of the team members shared a nice story after which games were played with the children and water balloons were handed out. A good idea with the warm weather. All in all a joyful and fruitful time.

Sunday 17 July:

This morning, at the invitation of Jeton the pastor, the team visited a church that is closely involved with Stichting de Brug. Two team members shared their testimonies, and after the service, the team chatted with people from the Church. A real encouragement!

After lunch, the team went to a sort of museum where they visited a house that was first hit during the war. The family of about 50 people who lived there came under fire for three days to make sure they were all dead. A true nightmare. A girl survived and was able to retell it.

After that, the team visited the graves. All this has affected the team enormously and the war in Ukraine makes it even harder to think about what these people have to go through. All in all, a piece of history of the impact of the war in Kosovo.

Monday July 18:

Today the team went to evangelize in Prizren, a multicultural Muslim city. Here they support the local church. The team also visited two poor families to encourage and help them. The brought items and toys were welcomed with open arms.

Tuesday 19 July:

Today is a special Project Hero day. The team organized a children's afternoon for the children supported by Project Held. The kids loved it and were very excited. (unfortunately due to privacy we cannot share children's photos)

The elderly who are supported by Project Held have been visited and food packages, which had previously been purchased and made, have been transferred. One of the older ones had the privilege of seeing a phone message from her sponsor and even a face-time. It touched her deeply and tears rolled down her cheeks. Often we have no idea of the impact of supporting a child or older person.

Wednesday 20 July:

The team traveled to northern Albania. There they visited the elderly project where the poorest people receive a hot meal a few times a week. This also has a nice social purpose, so the lonely see each other.

Then the team went to the Valbonie Valley, a National Park, and enjoyed the beautiful nature. Time for relaxation and let the emotions sink in that these people are confronted with on a daily basis.

Thursday 21 July:

Today is the last day of this special trip, one with a golden edge. In the morning, the team visited a young family and a number of elderly people. What a lot of misery these treasures have to contend with… they really have almost nothing and no one. Praise to the team of the Bridge who go there to visit them and bring groceries. They don't have the strength or the transport themselves, you don't want to think about how they would otherwise have to get through the days.

Uganda Pioneer Tour

A small team from Project Held went to Uganda for a week in February to visit a children's home in Uganda. A visit with the aim of possibly working together in the future.

Foodstep, the children's home we visited, takes care of dozens of children, some children come from a "child prison". These children end up in prison because they lived on the street, were abandoned or abandoned and stole food to survive.

Some children were in the wrong place at the wrong time and were rounded up and put in the children's prison, here they try to get the children back on the right path. Unfortunately in Uganda this is done with a heavy hand, control and fear, which puts these children who are already traumatized even further from recovery.

Thanks to Foodstep, dozens of children have already been transferred to the Foodstep children's home where they can work on their recovery, where they receive love and they are not a number, but learn that they are valuable and loved.

In addition, they take care of children after a phone call from the police or child protection. These children are found in the most appalling conditions and often they do not know who the parents are or the parents are unable to take care of the children.

In short, a special project that offers a home to many children. After this special week, Project Held has decided to work with Foodstep and we will actively look for sponsors for all these beautiful children.

Travel report Uganda

In October we went to Uganda with a team of 10 people. What an amazing trip we had, we are still deeply impressed by this trip. We can say that it has been a life-changing journey for most!

We spent the first week in the children's home of Iris Ministries in Uganda, Luweero. These children come from South Sudan but fled 2 years ago due to the war to Uganda, where they now live. We had a lovely time with the kids and really had time to get to know the kids. We played with them, laughed, talked, tinkered, fetched water and experienced a wonderful praise evening in the open air with them.

Within our team were a number of sponsors who could already hold their sponsor child in their arms on the first day, what a moving moment that was.

On Saturday we wanted to give the children a festive day and we spoiled the children with balls, balloons, lollipops, cookies, chicken, marshmallows, etc. It really was a big party! We brought a real camel to the children's home where the children could all take a ride.

On Sunday we organized a children's service with our team and were allowed to pray with all the children and the children prayed for our team, what a wonderful moment!

Unfortunately the day came when we had to say goodbye to the children, the necessary tears have been shed. Although it was difficult to say goodbye, it was nice to see that both the children and the sponsors were determined to send many letters to each other, how beautiful is that!

We spent the second week in Gulu, in the north of Uganda, where the LRA has been very active and that has left its mark. In Gulu a Campaign was organized by St. Words of Faith where we as a team would help where necessary. We promoted the campaign by driving a sound car through the busy streets of Gulu and handing out flyers. What a hunger and openness there was among the people, the harvest was really ripe to harvest!

For five evenings we went to the campaign field where thousands of people gathered to dance, worship and listen to God's word. Many have been healed and liberated, how special to be able to pray for these beautiful people as a team and to love them.

During the day we visited two villages where a large number of orphans were taken care of by a grandfather, grandmother, aunt or neighbor. We have heard many horrific stories about what the LRA has done there and left many children orphaned. We, as Project Held, are going to see if we can do something for these children.

With the team we went on a safari for another day and were able to enjoy the beautiful African nature with its beautiful and impressive animals.

All in all it was a trip to remember!

2nd Kosovo trip report

On Wednesday, as a team, we received almost all the children we support from Project Held in our guesthouse. In the morning we went shopping in groups and then prepared a delicious meal for our 35 guests. For the children we had a program outside with crafts and games. We have been able to hand out letters from Project Held from the sponsors, great to see how happy they are with it! After dinner we had a special time of worship and prayer where many healings took place. We have taught the youth to pray for the sick, they have really stepped out and seen the miracles happening right before their eyes.

There was also an elderly Muslim man who allowed us to pray for him, he had many complaints. Yesterday he called us to ask if he could come by one more time and give his life to Jesus, he was still in a little bit of pain that he wanted prayers for. God is good!
On Thursday we went to the town of Klina, the pastor from Pristina started a second church there, this church has only a few members. The pastor asked us to evangelize in Klina and to invite the people to the church service. We would start in the church (a small upstairs room) with worship and prayer, then we would go out into the street to evangelize. In the end things turned out differently and the upstairs room filled with youth, who then called their mother or others to come over. We sang wonderfully together and then had many conversations with the young people, many of whom gave their lives to Jesus on the spot. We are still impressed by it….
After this very powerful experience, we went to a poor family that comes to the church in Klina, this family came to faith a few weeks ago. Here we have been able to encourage people and pray for them. The son, who is in his early 20s, broke his back while working in construction, which means for him no chance of work, no woman and therefore a hopeless future. We prayed for complete recovery in his back. He indicated that the pain was much less. We will continue to pray for him until he is fully recovered!

After that we moved on to a widow with a daughter living at home, her husband/father died during the war in 1999 and he was never found. This is very difficult for the family. This family comes from terribly poor circumstances, the children were previously supported by Project Held and together with the help of de Brug they were able to pick up life again. She shared her testimony and we were allowed to pray for her and her daughter. They now live in a beautiful house and daughter is studying English. They cooked a delicious meal for us, it was a special time.