New Health Manual for all our Bush Schools!

Mozambique has about 19,8 million people. The average life expectancy of a Mozambiquean is about 42 years of age. That places Mozambique of the 224 countries in the world tested at about 220. If you think of the United Kingdom who averages 79 and the United States at about 76 people in Mozambique don't get very old. Swaziland is the worst off at only 31,9 years due to the aids epidemic.

Diseases that causes the most deaths in Mozambique is according to the World Health Organisation http://www.afro.who.int/home/countries/fact_sheets/mozambique.pdf:

HIV Aids, malaria, Diarrhoeal diseases, Lower respiratory infections, Perinatal conditions, Measles, Tuberculosisk Cerebrovascular disease, Ischaemic heart disease and Protein-energy malnutrition to name a few.

What do we do as you average volunteer in Mozambique? Easy? Well there is not an easy answer but one of the answers is to teach preventative health. And where do you start? With kids in schools offcourse.

.

We have been privileged to have a volunteer nurse from Canada, Keren Massey who wrote a Health Manual for our Bush Schools on preventative health.

We have just had our first training session with some of our teachers. Our first Health period will start during the first week of February. The program is very interactive and consist out of games, art and learning with fun in mind. Various topics will be tackled and each month of the school year will concentrate on a different health topic.

I am not sure if we are one of the first schools to do this - but in our area it is absolutely the first. The project aims to get kids to share their knowledge with their parents to maximize the influence of the Health Manuel.

Will keep you updated on how the program is running.

Highlights of the week!

It's Saturday morning - like everywhere else. Time to update my blog. It was a busy week - hot and humid but lots of good things happening during this week ........ let me share a few of the highlights ..... and maybe not so much a highlight:

TEXT BOOKS FOR SCHOOLS: MASSIVE SHORTAGES

The Mozambican Education Department provided us with some of our text books which we will need to teach our grade 1 to 5 students. Some of the students were very happy to have received their first books. Our grade 3 students unfortunately received nothing. That means that of our 53 grade 3's no one will have a text book this year. The teacher will be the only one who will have a text book which will have to be copied from the blackboard by the kids.

Our Head Master, Joao Feniassi handing over some of the new books to grade 4 students. I think the closed eyes means he his thankful!

Meet all our teachers. From left to right Tito Mabuleza (pre-school and Grade 1), Joao Feniassi (Grade 4 and Head Master), Joao Benjamin (University Graduate - volunteer), Simbulani Paradzai (Grade 3 - new teacher) and Paulo Inacio (Grade 2 and 5).

Government does not pay the salaries of these teacher so the mission are standing in for their salaries.

I couldn't resist this photo - one of our new students for the year. Dressed to kill in his own stylish suit. Our 2010 intake for our bush school passed the 240 mark as we speak.

MOZAMBICAN DROUGHT DRIES UP FOOD LIFELINE

2010 Started without any rain anywhere. It is dry. As you know all rural people in Africa depend on their local crops to survive for the rest of the year. Mozambique is no exception and maize is the most basic food for the local people. Where January usually measures up to 300mm of rain we have only had about 20 mm. Maize already dried up and still no prospect for any rain. Please pray with us as people are already suffering ..... and again it is the old people and the babies that suffers first. It is a dire situation ..... where even us can only look and pray.

Now that is one of the many things I love about kids. You can never dampen their joyous spirit. Some of our school boys were absolutely overjoyed with life despite the situation.

School starts off with a bang .........

I was still collecting Bibles in Johannesburg just after New Year when my phone rang. It was Dwight from Mozambique calling. "Have you heard the news ......" he said, "the radio announced that schools will be starting Monday, 18 January!".

And that is how it works in Mozambique. The one day you are in Johannesburg about 1 500 km away from Mozambique and the next day you plan to rush back out of breath. Mozambique has an interesting way when it comes to sharing news. THE RADIO. Like elsewhere in Africa the radio plays a major role. We don't always have year planners or other ways to organize our year - when the radio speaks ...... we all run. Sometimes like chickens running away from the dreadful axe ..... nevertheless ..... we run. Interestingly the radio news has never changed! It sounds something like ....... drums playing on the hour and then the deep voice of a Mozambican calls out ..... "Antenna Nacional .... RM" The RM I figured out stands for Radio Mozambique.


Photo: Second round of training for our teachers in a more relaxed atmosphere. The teacher unions in South Africa would be proud!!!

Well ..... to cut a long story short .... had a week to prepare teachers for the new year. Run through training, set up year rosters, hire a new teacher, buy stationary and do some more training.
Photo: In Mozambique we don't have to plead for parents to attend school opening. They come on short notice ...... and sometimes the bush mail is faster than satellite mail!


Our schools did us proud though in 2009. We have had an overall pass rate of 85 % of which our grade 5 students who had to write an external exam fared the best of all our schools in the area with a pass rate of 90,5 %. WOW ..... that is even better than the South African results with a few hundred million to support them!



Photo: Francois - a serious moment pondering on some questions from parents in the community.

So Monday back to school (short notice and all) and even our pre-schools are ready to start the year with a bang. WE are always short on Portuguese story books. We are currently in the process of starting our own library. If you have any Portuguese books laying around - please let me know - we will pick them up from wherever in the world!

Surviving the "Highway from hell" in Zimbabwe ..... again!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN ..........

Photo: Leaving the Beitbridge border post you will run into many of these beautiful Boabab trees.

Have you ever driven on a stretch of road that is so dangerous that you think (after 50 km) "this was a mistake!" Driving on African roads could be hazardous in many ways.

Driving through Beitbridge (after being delayed for more than 2 hours) as the temperature rises to more than 34 degrees Celsius is not fun. The first few donkeys chatting lazily in the middle of the road as I came speeding along at 100km/h should have been my first warning. The goats (and there are many) are a little more streetwise. I nearly took ones tail as he darts away to safety. Sheep - different issue altogether. No wonder Jesus said the sheep needs a Shepherd. Sheep are dumb - just look into their eyes and you will understand.

Photo: Ok .... a bit over the top .... but you get the idea!
Photo: The real pothole in Zimbabwe.

Anyway it's late on the road and all the locals keep on reminding me not to drive at night. The roads are dangerous they said. Well I thought of pushing along anyway. The vehicle wrecks with burnt-out trucks along the roadside was a reminder of people who did not listen to the locals. The potholes didn't help either. I was swerving from the one side to the other to just hit another.

And to top it off - a toll stop on the "Highway from hell". "US$1 the young man shouted!" I thought of saying something rude but sanity prevailed ..... only just. I payed the one dollar and wondered what the road has in store next. I didn't have to wait long. A Zimbabwean bus passed me at 120 km/h with a door wide open. Because of a half broken axle the front wheels are on the tar and the rest is following in the dirt. A hilarious site ..... if it wasn't for the big eyes of the passengers through the bus windows wishing they were rather travelling with me. I counted my blessings right there.

Photo: Somehow these buses seem to have a top speed like non other I have witnessed. If you dare to travel on one of these make sure you know your Saviour ahead of time!

In the distance I could see lights. And it was. The Lion and Elephant Motel was like an oasis waving me in. It was like heaven - open, friendly and I felt that I have arrived home! The Lion and Elephant motel is one of those places you just have to visit. It seems that the decor and housing stopped in the 70's ...... (they still play ABBA music) but the peace and tranquility of the place just grows on you. The owners are extremely helpful and friendly ..... you even get coffee the next morning for free (and always on time!)

Photo: The Lion and Elephant Hotel in its glory. Photos from their postcards.

The motel was nearly destroyed by a fire in 2000 and again in 2002 because of a cyclone that hit the area. They have rebuild some of the cottages but the big trees, green grass and well kept motel is still doing business after many years. We have become friends with the Lion and Elephant hotel since then. It is a great break from the "Highway from hell". Did I mention their food. Out of this world ...... for Africa that is. Nice Eland (biggest buck in Africa) steak smoldered in a garlic crust with fresh veggies.

Yes .... and after a good night's rest it was time to hit the "highway-to-you-know-where" again. We arrived safely ...... thanks to your prayers and a gracious Jesus!

Photo: Morning has broken ............ another day ...... on the road again!

2010 - LIKE NEVER BEFORE!

A blessed and life changing 2010 to you all! It is a year of much anticipation. For us in the jungle it absolutely must be "We are not going to just sit and say ..... that's just the way it is - lets just accept it!"

I hope and pray that you too will not just accept the fact that ..... "that's just the way it is!" Wherever you are and whatever influence you have in this life let us make 2010 count. Spiritually, financially and in every other aspect of your life. It is so easy to just sit and say .... "my fears won't allow me to move forward", or ....... "I don't have the ability ...." and so we can go on. May God help us to change situations for the good of the Kingdom. People are depending on you!

A friend in Burundi wrote the following and said if we don't stand up and act NOW we'll end up echoing these sad words:

To sinful patterns of behaviour that never get confronted and changed,
Abilities and gifts that never get cultivated and deployed –
Until weeks become months
And months turn into years,
And one day you’re looking back on a life of
Deep intimate gut-wrenchingly honest conversations you never had;
Great bold prayers you never prayed,
Exhilarating risks you never took,
Sacrificial gifts you never offered
Lives you never touched,
And you’re sitting in a recliner with a shrivelled soul.
And forgotten dreams,
And you realise there was a world of desperate need,
And a great God calling you to be part of something bigger than yourself –
You see the person you could have become but did not;
You never followed your calling.
You never got out of the boat.

NO WAY!!!