About Vivian
Early Years
Vivian (Ogden) Jenkins was born in Masvingo (Fort Victoria), Zimbabwe. She was raised in Gweru (Gwelo) where she attended Riverside, CJR and Chaplin schools. She qualified as a primary school teacher at Hillside Teachers' College, Bulawayo.
Vivian married Peter Jenkins at Victoria Falls in 1976, and they settled in Bindura where Peter was superintendent of the smelter at Trojan Nickel Mine. Their first two sons were born there before they spent two years at CFNI in Dallas, Texas, USA, Their daughter was born in Dallas.
In 1982, Vivian and Peter returned to Zimbabwe and settled in Gweru. They immediately joined a small group of enthusiastic people to become involved with starting Midlands Christian School and Midlands Christian College.
Their third son was born in 1985. Education, marriage, four wonderful children - a career on the go. The first 35 years were packed full - and fulfilling.
Educator
Vivian taught at MCS and MCC and then became pioneer principal of Midlands Christian Training Centre in 1992. A UNISA Distance Learning Centre, MCTC trained teachers for MCS and MCC and took in many others sponsored by other ATS schools. Peter became involved in missions and spent a lot of time working with church leaders throughout Zimbabwe and Zambia and later, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In 1985, Vivian began writing the #SunriseReaders with Chrissie Lewis - published by Longman Zimbabwe. Over the next few years, they completed twenty early childhood readers for Grades One and Two. These are used in schools all over Zimbabwe to date.
Recent Years
UK
In 2007, Vivian and Peter moved to London to work in an inner city church for four years.
https://www.gospelcentre.co.uk
South Africa
In 2011, they returned to Africa where they now reside in the beautiful Mother City - Cape Town.
Their strong connection with Zimbabwe, Zambia and DRC continues, with new recent heart-connections with Mozambique.
Recent News
This December sees @chrissielewis and me eighteen months into our new business as #publishers. Having been authors contracted with #LongmanZimbabwe and #PearsonEducationAfrica, it was a big step to start publishing the #SunriseReaders ourselves.With the closure of #PearsonEducationAfrica, we were given the opportunity to buy our Intellectual Property (the #SunriseReaders.) We succeeded, due to excellent advice from others in the business world and publishing industry, and efficient practical service by local book-keeping firm, #TMKSolutions. They guided us through registering the company and becoming registered for VAT and export. I turned 70 last year – so this has been a huge learning curve at an “interesting” age! However, apart from administrating this company (still too small to employ anyone else), my co-author (and co-director of #SunriseEducationalPublishing) – @ChrissieLewis – and I have revised and published two new books from the start to the finish: #SunriseReaders Book 11 (Let‘sbeHappy) and Book 12 (#HousesandHomes).…
Read MoreMy parents went into full-time ministry when I was about seven years old. I grew up in an ‘old fashioned’ pentecostal church and saw people living out their faith fully, half-heartedly or just ‘nominally’. Of course. Because that’s the way people live out their faith, isn’t it? I was fortunate to have parents who believed that God is Who He says He is, and He can do what He says He can do. They left home, family and security to give of themselves unstintingly. There wasn’t any hypocrisy – they were real. However! We were extremely wealthy spiritually, but it was materially and emotionally tough. I resolved I would never marry a minister when I grew up. And I didn’t. I married a Chemical Engineer who had graduated with his B. Chem Eng with honours. He had a secure job with De Beers (Diamond Research Laboratories) and a bright future.…
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Princess Bella-Joy gave birth to her third litter of four beautiful, healthy #PersianChinchillakittens on 1st January 2020. The first baby arrived at precisely 20:20! How cool is that! They are already 17 days old!
Read MoreWe are a group of women of all ages from different churches – or no church at all – in Cape Town’s Far South. We share a common interest in our desire to learn more about God. We usually meet for 8 – 12 weeks of Bible Study twice a year. If you’re near Fish Hoek and would like to learn more about our Bible study, please reach out through our Facebook page.
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