A report from child aid chimoio in Mozambique.

At DRH Sydsjælland, Lindersvold we have received the following letter, written by Maaret Development Instructor in Child Aid, Chimoio-Mozambique:

At DRH Sydsjælland, Lindersvold we have received the following letter, written by Maaret  Development Instructor in Child Aid, Chimoio-Mozambique:

So now it is already  time to send you my first monthly report. Time flys here.

Anyway the journey to Johannesburg went just fine. Johannesburg was really cold! I was feeling that everything was a little bit unrealistic, it was hard to believe we were finally in Africa! The first impression that I got of Africa was the reality of the poverty, dryness, chaos..but also so beautiful savannas, mountains, so warm and friendly people. A continent of contrasts!

We stayed there one night and the next morning we left to Maputo by bus. The police checked our bags at the border, but that’s it, and then we were in Mozambique! We took a taxi through the noisy and dirty city to the base of ADPP ( HUMANA).  The taxidrivers are really crazy, the ride was even worse than the flight! As soon as I saw ADPP I realized how respected this organization must be in this country. It was like a white castle surrounded by slum.

We visited the projects during the five days we were staying there, for example One World University, Vocational School, EPF. We also visited the construction of the One World University in Changalane, near Swaziland. Salvatore, a former teacher at Lindersvold, was our tourguide in the city of Maputo.

These days reminded us a little bit of an investigation period… I think it was really good to get a little bit of touch of Mozambican culture and life, before we started in our projects.

When it was time to leave to our new home we took a machimbomba to Chimoio, a bus of 30 seats for 50 passengers. So full, smelly and hot! But anyway after 25 hours of something between nightmare and hell we arrived to Chimoio.

The EPF ( teacher training college) where we stay is really much better than I imagined. Our little african hut is really comfortable. We have electricity most of the time, but we haven’t had water from the tap since we came, so that means we have nice freezing showers from the bucket! But that’s ok.

The projects EPF and Formigas ( street children school) are very well organized and are functioning well. So is my project, Child Aid, but in a different way. Child Aid’s biggest problem to get the whole project functioning really well is lack of enough funds.

But besides that I like the project very much. It is just the right kind for me. The people that I work with, the project leader and the other volunteers from the community etc. are very nice. It is pleasure to work with them

In the beginning I was mostly working with the research of the families and children of the preschools. I was going around in the areas of the town checking out in what kind of conditions the children lived. It was really interesting to see closely how people live here, and sometimes really shocking. Now I’m organizing a healthcampaign for the families where me and the other volunteers will give presentations about  tropical diseases, clean water and so on.

Many people here are very keen to  learn english and they have asked me to be their teacher, but until now I have only managed to give lessons for the staff of Child Aid and it’s nice, we have a lot of fun during the lessons, but I also hope that they learn something!

I have also been  working with a youth club. I have been organizing theatre plays, debates and sports together with another volunteer. It is a lot of fun! Now I am seriously planning to start a women’s club as soon as possible.

And I also got the funding to finish building Suzie’s preschool. I am very happy and pleased of that!

I have been also going around the preschools, playing with the kids. Here’s a lot to do actually and I find the work very rewarding.

One of my goals now is to keep these clubs and english lessons running the whole time that I am here so the next DI can continue when I leave.

So it would be great to keep contact to the future DIs for Child Aid so I can keep them updated….

My portugease is..well, not fluent but almost satisfactory.. I was actually very afraid how  I could manage with the low skills that I had before I came here. I had to suddenly talk and work with portugease for the first time in my life.

I do regret that I didn’t study it more in Denmark. But I think I’m getting there anyway… The word Muzungu! ( white person) is a word we all know pretty well…I’ve heard it about one thousand and fifty times while I’m walking in the bairro.

I feel actually very good here. Everything is much better than I expected. Here’s hardly any mosquitos, some other bugs though… We all feel more or less healthy and good here.

Linda’s teaching, Giampaolo is busy with building his preschool- they are working very hard..

But as a conclusion I enjoy my life here, sometimes it is hard to face the poverty and lack of almost everything what is so normal for us, but still people can be so warm and friendly. It amazes me. I have so much to learn from them.

Everything in Denmark was worthwhile to experience just to come here and work with these people. I am very happy that I didn’t give up on coming here…

I wish all the best for the April and August teams! 

I really do hope that everyone of them “survives” the studies, the practical work at the school, fundraising, whatever..

They are actually one of the smallest annoying things in the world.

You’ll see much worse things here and then you wonder why you let those small things bother you!

And I send greetings to the headmasters, to Gunnar, Midgen , Geoffrey, Smilla, Rami, Sean, net up people, the teachers, everyone that I didn’t mention! Take care! I miss you guys!

Maaret

more pics here