Education and Training for Orphan or Needy Girls in Mozambique

Project location: MOZAMBIQUE
Project start date: June 2012 - Project end date: December 2014
Project number: 2012-052
Beneficiary: O Viveiro

Timeline of the present report:  July - December 2012

The project strongly sustains the development of female population from first youth: following the educational program, girls can reach such a level of human and professional preparation allowing them to continue their studies (University or specialization), undertake self-employment activities, consciously form new families and co-operate to the growth of other girls. The project places side by side basic schooling (2° level primary school - 6° class EP2 - up to the end of the 2° level of secondary school - 12° class ESG 2) with a complementary teaching concerning food knowledge and techniques, household management, hygiene and health care, farming, breeding, accountancy, handicraft activities, sports activities etc... in order to prepare them for the job.

The educational-training project, currently underway, involves 21 girls, aged between 10 and 15 years, hosted - from November 2011 - at the O Viveiro Center in Chitima, and followed day by day by the presence of two family assistants (one of them on a part-time basis, while the other full-time) and the coordinator and local manager of the project, D. Lucia Meque Muzuza.

Girls coming from different districts of Tete Province (Cahora Bassa, Tete - Matundo and Matema - Mutarara) attend schools in Chitima: Escola Secundaria do Vale, Primary 1 Escola de Junho, Escola primary Complexa Anexa ao I.F.P., some of them in the morning, others in the afternoon,

The contribution received from the Nando Peretti Foundation, together with donations of members and friends of the Association, led to the start of the following workshops, guided by Mozambican and Italian trainers and educators:

A). Reading and writing in Portuguese: knowledge of the official language of the country, development of understanding and speaking, writing texts and stories. Daily meetings of 2 hours.

Intermediate outcomes: boys and girls are now able to participate in and understand school lessons, read books and texts (an agreement with the Portuguese Embassy in Rome and with publishers/language Portuguese institutes for the supply of textbooks and reading books is being drafted), to have conversations, to follow events happening in the country (through radio, television and newspapers), to "translate" some information from the Portuguese to the local language (Cinyungwé) to help village communities.

Next steps and expected results: continuing to support girls training, involving them directly in a "virtuous circle", teaching old girls on how to teach smaller ones, in order to combat illiteracy, promote academic achievement, limit the number of early school leavers and stimulate active participation of families and of the local community. :

From the census of 2007 (source: INE - III Recenseamento Geral da População and Habitação) it results that in the District approximately 60% of the population over 15 years of age does not speak Portuguese (the official language of the country), 64% of the population is illiterate, and the illiteracy rate is particularly high among women (amongst the young people of the District, 67% never attended school, and only 10% completed primary education).

B.1 Tailoring: training for girls living in the Center for sewing school uniforms, dresses, skirts. Tri-weekly meetings of 3 hours.

B.2 Horticulture: fruit and vegetables production, didactic explanation regarding their properties, sowing, garden maintenance, fruit and vegetables picking. Bi-weekly meetings of 3 hours.

B.3 Farming of poultry: daily care of the species living in the center, with notions of animal feed and veterinary medicine. Bi-weekly meetings for 3 hours. The workshop also , for the older girls, animal breeding and their use in agricultural activities (eg, plowing, transport ..).

B.4 Cooking: training for cooking food by means of traditional and domestic methods, (cheese, bread, pizza, cookies, pasta, soups ..) to enrich and vary the local supply. Series of meetings : 20 days.

B.5 Storage, processing and food hygiene: proper techniques for freezing and unfreezing foods, other means of conservation (jams, sauces, preserves, ...) or processing (juices, juices, smoothies ..). Series of meetings: 20 days

Intermediate outcomes: Young girls are carrying out practical experiences in the various fields listed above, showing that they have already reached a satisfactory level of autonomy in the simple activities of daily living, thanks to the techniques and methodologies learned (the "know-how "), and through the " education (moral and ethical) at work. "

Next steps and expected results: Continuing to push forward workshops and activities by the insertion of new technologies, together with the recovery of traditional methodologies; educate entrepreneurship and social responsibility, motivating the group of girls to deal with their school curriculum and extra training -curriculum in preparation for their future entering into the world of work.

From the census of 2007 (source: INE - III Recenseamento Geral da População and Habitação) it results that at present the unemployment rate is 50%. Among the active population (between 15 and 64 years), 83% of people work within their family or on their own - predominantly women. The percentage of those receiving a salary is only 17% of the active population, predominantly - in this case - men (women are only 9%). Distribution of working population reflects the predominance of the agricultural sector, which employs 77% of the labor force in the District.

C.1 Sports and games: introduction of rugby (for the first time in Mozambique!) and athletics (gymnastics, running and marathon). Training: tri-weekly 2-hour

C.2 Traditional games and group activities open to all children and young people of Chitima. Every Sunday afternoon, including a snack together!

Intermediate outcomes: In accordance with the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Province of Tete it was launched the First Rugby Championship between school children of Chitima, preceded by a training course for physical education trainers. In the field of athletics it has been promoted, in collaboration with the District Directorate of Youth and Sport , the first Chitima Marathon, open to children from the local community.

An athlete of the Center will participate at the Rome Marathon, invited by the Italian organization, as they have heard about the project.

Next steps and expected results: Continuing to promote sports activities, teamwork and values (solidarity, loyalty, self-sacrifice, discipline, self-control, joy, creativity, courage ...) that, for their teaching content, can help in completing the educational and training activities.