Sponsor's update from Pemba, Mozambique

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Village Pemba, Mozambique from Summer 2008.

Dear Sponsor,

Approaching to the end of the year 2008, we are pleased for the chance we have of addressing you with this present End-of-Year Report which would include some information regarding to your sponsored SOS Children’s Village Pemba. Thank you for your support which enables the work of SOS possible by ensuring that all children grow up happy and healthy.

In fact, the children in the Village are enjoying of good health given that they always receive good care from the SOS Mothers and of all co-workers including the SOS nurse care that is possible under your permanent support, therefore, maintaining the total number of 180 children living in 15 Family Houses.

In addition, the Ministry of Health launched a campaign to administer Vitamin A and measles vaccines for all children under-five years of age. The campaign took place on the week of 06-10th October 2008. To this end, all SOS children that fall under this age range received the vaccines accordingly thereby guaranteeing their better healthy status.

Education still takes great focus on the children’s rights inasmuch as SOS Children is concerned. As such, the Village Management introduced supervised group studies for the children’s better performance. The teachers have also offered themselves to help the SOS children under examinations classes which are conducted after normal school lessons.

The SOS Nursery School still operates under its recommended capacity of 100 children. Two of these children are from the SOS Children's Village whilst the rest are externals. This year, 23 out of 25 children attending pre-school level have successfully qualified for primary education next academic year.

SOS School Pemba received two computers as donation. The donor promised to donate more computers in the light of making SOS School join the computer world given that the ones he donated are far away to meant the real needs of pupils who attend school including children from the village.

Working in partnership at Pemba, Mozambique

An SOS child by the name of Delvida Gulamo represented SOS Children’s Village Pemba in a three-day National Conference on “Girls’ Rights, whereby, the enhancement on “girl’s education” as main theme because in our country girls are generally still denied chance to education,” said Delvida when she transmitting the knowledge she gained to other SOS children. The conference was sponsored by the American Peace Corps. Beside the above mentioned themes, the children also discussed other topics such as health including HIV/AIDS, gender equality and small scale business.

SOS Children reaches the communities through its Social Centre Projects denominated Family Strengthening Programs. The Family Strengthening Programs in Pemba is currently supporting 154 families in four nearby communities. The support consists of Home Based Care and small-scale business whereby, the identified vulnerable families get loans for their self-sustainability. Once they (families) become self-sufficient and having repaid the loans, the Social Centre goes on to assist other needy families.

More importantly, children and youths from these families get educational support and vocational trainings respectively. Currently, with support from Family Strengthening Programs, 461 children attend nursery school lessons, 571 children attend primary and secondary education while 27 youths are doing different vocational courses namely, automobile mechanics and electricity, journalism and tailoring.

One of the youths is thankful to the Social Centre for assistance he received. He qualified as a primary teacher after being assisted in every school necessity at teachers’ college. He will join the teaching profession next year of 2009 as a permanent teacher.

On the other hand the Family Strengthening Programmes helps to hold the (vulnerable) families together, thus avoiding family breakaways avoiding of course the children abandonment.

Events at Pemba, Mozambique

The cultural activities have again been a success in the current year of 2008. The SOS School received an invitation by Pemba Cultural House to participate in inter-school dancing competition. The school group solely comprised 13 SOS children (who are pupils at the same school) because of group’s good organisation. It presented the traditional dance called Mapiko and came on the third position.

Radio Sem Fronteiras (a local Roman Catholic Radio Broadcasting Station) organised another competition involving the top five groups from the previous competition. This time, the SOS group representing SOS School, won the first prize comprising a Nokia mobile phone, T-shirts and school materials.

The mobile phone was sold so that its benefit could be shared among the dancing participants. The money was used to buy more school materials to further strengthen the children’s studies.

The SOS Mothers do a tremendous job in taking care of children in the Village. To this end, the mothers were awarded with certificates of honour in August as recognition of their good work. The certificates served as incentive to them. As to thank this Award, the mother promised to work hard in their day-to-day tasks for the betterment of the children.

The children are aware of what the Christmas and New Year events bring them. Yet again this year, the children are looking forward to having great moments during these festivities. The children will be provided with special meals and will be bought presents. The presents are given in special way when the children are asleep. Most of them get surprised to find the presents lying on beds after fruitless efforts to avoid falling asleep so as to see the coming of the presents.

Last but not least, we wish you all the best during the forthcoming Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.

Yours sincerely,

Antonio José Carvalho Junior
VILLAGE DIRECTOR