Improving the lives of 150 orphans in Djonasse, Mozambique

21-05-2013

The HOPE Program offers hope to people who are infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS, promoting their mobilization to live every day in a positive way. The project is also working on supporting children orphaned by the disease.

HOPE Centre in Djonasse, in Maputo, Mozambique, is improving the lives of 150 orphans, working in areas such as nutrition and sanitation. The program encourages proactivity of participating families, providing them with the tools and knowledge necessary to be themselves which will improve their quality of life. In fact, thanks to their efforts, have managed to produce more vegetables, grains and chickens, ensuring also the sustainability of production.

The enthusiasm shown by the participants at the time of counting and explain to their relatives and neighbors progress has contributed to the reduction of stigma and discrimination faced situation. Furthermore, it has managed to instill in the community a sense of positivity when thinking about the future of children, something not too usual in communities like this.

Agricultural crops and improved nutrition
The center has created a field model in which the people involved learn new farming techniques and receive seed kits (lettuce, cabbage, carrot, onion, tomato and zucchini) so they can grow on their own land, putting into practice what they learned. Currently, each family has an orchard of 8 to 10 m2 in area, located close to their home or nearby communal fields. Vegetables and cereals harvested, enable improved feeding the community members, achieving at the same time, a surplus to sell in the local market. With this, you get an income that enables the purchase of new seeds for the next crop and cash to manage on a day to day purchases of drugs, school supplies, uniform, clothing and other living expenses.

The Tragaluz Foundation support in the past year has facilitated collaboration with local partners, such as the Mozambican Agricultural Research Institute, which has provided 350 kilos of sweet potato seedlings. Its cultivation has generated intake of carbohydrates, essential for families as well as extra income.

Water tanks and raising chickens
The Djonasse area soil is sandy, so well construction is not the recommended solution for obtaining water. Therefore, three tanks were acquired, 1,000 liters each, and sprinklers 50 to facilitate irrigation. These tanks provide drinking water for human consumption. With them, it has reduced the number of cases of diarrhea among children. They also assume a time saver in the search for water, which allows families to engage in other activities also needed for the community.

So important is being increased agricultural production as created small chicken farm. Each month families produce 300 chickens, half of whom are engaged in subsistence, so that each month a chicken is delivered to each child. The rest is sold in the local market to generate income.

The project has also gone beyond the general objectives marked, as it has worked in other areas such as access to school or the promotion of sports.

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