Child Sponsorship Report 2008, from Maputo, Mozambique

Child sponsor update from the SOS Children's Village Maputo, Mozambique from November 2008

Dear Sponsor,

We are happy for the chance of writing you this end of year Report as it enables us to share with you annual festivals. Before we go ahead, we would like to thank you for turning dreams into reality through your permanent support.

The support you are giving to this village facilitates the work of SOS management in taking care for the children living in this village. We are happy to inform you that most of the children are enjoying good health. It is our sincere hope that this letter will get you while still leading good health.

Up to the present moment the village is composed of 166 children and 40 youth’s respectively male and female youths living in three youth facilities. From the three facilities 12 girls are living inside the village while 28 boys live outside the village in two different rented houses. The village CDP team (child development program) is planning to transfer 17 boys and 6 girls from the family houses to the youth facilities.

This year mother’s day was celebrated with happiness as the surrounding community joined the SOS-Mothers on this day. The village Director did not stay behind from the mothers as he urged them to continue working hard for the benefit of children. In recognition of their good work the village Director read a poem entitled mothers day. The mothers were happy to hear and to know that their work is being recognised in the village.

To make the day pleasant the mothers performed different activities namely cultural dances; football matches and participated on athletics competition. To end the day, the mothers were full of smiles as it is a sign of recognition for the work they are doing.

As usual, SOS Children’s Village Maputo commemorated the SOS Day with blooming events. In order to celebrate the day the mothers and children from the village prepared a cake in recognition of the day. Annually, on 23 June the SOS Children’s village worldwide commemorate SOS Day.

School year

Many children began the scholastic year of 2008 with anxious to attend new levels. However, this strength was not seen only at the beginning, it remains until now. The Primary and Secondary School has managed to enroll a total of 1031 pupils being 891 external students and 140 are from SOS children village. The school management has managed to guarantee a total number of 800 scholarships for children who were not able to pay their school fees.

We are happy to inform you that from the majority attending school, their performance has been good. This gives us a great hope that 95% are likely to come out with good results at end of the present school year. The pupils will soon be writing their final tests and those who will have to sit for examinations, have already started their preparation lessons to guarantee success on the examinations.

Children from the family houses and youths no longer more move longer distances to look internet cafes for research work due to the fact that the village now possesses a computer room for that purpose composed six computers all connected to internet.

Due to good partnership with the local government 2 children from SOS children’s village Maputo were selected by the city council Mayor of Maputo to participate on peace campaign in Italy. The campaign was aimed at exchange of experience based on cultural rhythms with children from 10 countries including Mozambique. It was a campaign for almost two weeks. The children gained experienced on activities like theater, music, sports and films. The children were thought how to produce films. We talked to Cassimo Bonomar Mussa Ali one of the children selected and he had the pleasure of narrating his trip to Italy: “My trip to Napoles-Italy was wonderful. I was very happy with my trip because I shared a lot of experience with other children from different countries. I had never been abroad before but this time I passed through Johannesburg and Munich before landing in Napoles. It was a tiresome trip but very interesting. I enjoyed it because the campaign added more valued knowledge to my life as I had a walk around the world and created many friendships. The communication with other children was difficult but above all it was possible through interpreter who could speak all the languages”, said Cassimo.

The SOS Nursery School has a total number of 107 children. From this number 27 are SOS children and 80 are community children. The SOS Nursery Schools were conceived to prepare the children for a healthy school using methods that consists in learning through playing. It also offers pre-school programs for children who are attending fifth year age group in preparation for school.

Developing community support

We are happy to mention that 200 families from the surrounding communities are receiving help from SOS family Strengthening Programme (Social Centre). The families are offered training in welding, carpentry, tailoring, mechanics, tinsmith, art and design. Later the families are given loan to as starting capital for small scale business in order to be self reliant. This is an SOS outreach programmes for under privileged children who did not have the chance for being admitted in the village.

The SOS Family Strengthening Programme in its activities of family outreach program is helping the government to rehabilitate and building additional classrooms in a near by communities. This school is of great importance to the community due to the fact that most of the children used to move on longer distance to get education.

To conclude this letter, we would like to share with you our great happiness for the inauguration of SOS Children’s village Inhambane, the 4th SOS Children’s village in Mozambique located at about 460 km from Maputo. The inauguration took place on the 13th October.

The mothers are in preparation for the coming festivals of Christmas and New Year festivals. They have already handed over the proposals for the festivals. Each mother will enjoy the festivals with her children in the family house. On the festivals the village Director will have the chance to visit each and every house in order to greet and wish the mothers and children the best on these festivals. On the New year´s eve the entire SOS community will meet at the amphitheatre in order to dance, eat and play.

Sincerely yours



Grey Meque Gruno

Village Director - SOS CV Maputo