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| Fountain of Joy Vocational Training in a Christian Environment for "WHAT SOME CALL TRASH, GOD CALLS A TREASURE." How the Vision Began Josephine Shoo, and her husband Glorious, began teaching unwed teenage mothers in the Kirigiti in Juvenile Prison, an approved girl's Primary School in Kenya, East Africa during the time they were attending Bible School. They discovered that some of the girls they were ministering to had been sentenced to prison as a result of abandoning their babies. Others had abortions, or were involved in prostitution. Most of these girls came from extremely poor families, had very little, if any, education, and had no means of supporting themselves or their babies, and so they were caught in a hopeless cycle of poverty and an immoral lifestyle. As the Shoos ministered weekly to the girls, the burden grew in their hearts to reach more girls like them with the gospel, especially in their own city in Moshi, Tanzania. They realized that not only did the girls need to be reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but in order to make an equally important difference in their lives, they needed to be taught a skill in order to get a legitimate job to support themselves and their babies. Josephine was highly determined to fulfill the vision she carried in her heart, and believed God could change their lives and make new what others might call wasted lives. Upon returning to Tanzania, she started the Fountain of Joy Ministry for unwed teenage mothers by using her own home to teach the girls about the Lord, and to begin sewing classes to teach them to become skilled seamstresses. There are several girls who are now formally enrolled and supported by the NLF. God has provided some new sewing machines, and has given them several qualified teachers to help train the girls. By God's grace they have been able to rent dormitory for the girls with running water, a hot water heater, nice toilets, and hot shower. Shoos have personally trained at least 24 of these girls since they began in 1998. The young women come to the school free of charge, primarily because none of them can afford to pay anything. How the Program Works Many of the unwed teenage mothers come from extremely poor families, and many of them have very little if any education. In order to be able to get a job, they must have some type of marketable skill. So by training these young mothers in sewing helps not only these women, but all of society. The Fountain of Joy offers a one year training program to these girls. Each day they begin with a Bible class, including praise and worship, prayer and testimony time, and teaching. Most of these girls are not born again when they come to the Fountain of Joy. Almost all of them are saved by the time they graduate. Other practical daily classes include: Home economics English as a second language Seamstress Food and nutrition Child care and child rearing ______________________________________ On the Job Training The first year of training, the young mothers take their classes at the school, which is in a building owned by New Life Foundation. It is near the Fountain of Hope Primary School. When a young woman enrolls at the Fountain of Joy, she is given a brand new sewing machine to begin learning on. At the end of her first year, she is helped in obtaining a job at a local seamstress shop in Moshi. She is not paid any salary from the store owner, but is given free on-the-job-training from her employer instead. This helps the girls overcome their fear of going into the market place, or seeking a job. The store owners evaluate their work, and keep New Life Foundation informed of their progress. At the end of the second year, some of the store owners hire their apprentices. In some cases, the girls find work in other shops, and occasionally they go into business for themselves. At the end of this first year, the girls are given their sewing machines by New Life Foundation, in exchange for a very small monthly payment to pay NLF back. In this way they have been able to purchase their own machines in a very easy way over a one year period, where they would otherwise never have been able to afford it. NLF then takes the monthly payments, puts it into a savings account for the purchase of sewing machines for other girls to begin the program. At this time, sewing is the only job skill that is being offered to the girls. In the future things such as carpentry, vehicle mechanics, computer skills will be added. (Carpentry and vehicle mechanics are common skills for women in Tanzania.) Girls and some of the teen mothers using their sewing machines at the Fountain of Joy. The teen mothers in their school uniforms. Mary, one of the instructors for the teen mothers, showing one of the dresses they made. Josephine teaching a class with the teen mothers at the Fountain of Joy. Puppet Making (A part of the Fountain of Love Department) One of the great needs the Shoos had when first starting their ministry to children was being able to obtain affordable puppets. Making and using puppets was not like having toys to the Shoos. They were important tools for reaching out to the children. They were first introduced to puppetry by Rev. Jay Risner, who is now the children's pastor of the James River Assembly of God church in Springfield, MO., who had great influence on them in children's ministry. Josephine decided to begin making the puppets and full-bodied animal costumes they needed in reaching out to boys and girls of Tanzania. Without the help of any other form of advertising, many children have attended their meetings just by seeing the puppets and animal characters made by the Shoos. As Josephine began developing her skills in puppet making, she began to train other children's ministers to do the same. In addition, she has been able to make these puppets and animals at an affordable price to the African children's workers, thereby helping bring in some additional financial support to New Life Foundation. The teenage mothers from the Fountain of Joy ministry have also been taught to make these puppets and animals, and the sale of those items have also helped toward their schooling. |
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