The latest photos will get you into the mood on what is happening here this morning:
Monday, January 31, 2011
Building bridges ..... fresh from this morning!
Our motto here is - Transformational Engineering in action. Doing education means building bridges - literally sometimes. I had to test our new bridge and then went on to the school to see how real bridge building is done. Did a quick surprise visit and recon mission to our bush school this morning. Have to admit I am again so proud of our local Mozambican staff who has absolutely NO PROBLEM in running programs very efficiently on their own! Handling a bush school with 260 children is no easy task. But, so it seems, our 4 teachers does this without too much sweat (or so it seems). Just gotta love the dedication.
The latest photos will get you into the mood on what is happening here this morning:
PHOTO: After our old bridge collapsed during the strong rainy season (see articles below) ..... it took a lot of manpower to get our new bridge constructed.
PHOTO: And there it is! I tested the new bridge this morning after heavy rain. I am carrying more than a ton of maize and beans to our bush school ..... and the bridge showed its power.
Photo: Paulo Inacio - our grade 4 teacher getting ready for a mathematical explosion! Something about Pythagoras .... so I heard.
PHOTO: School principal, Joao Feniassi helping grade 5 students.
PHOTO: Every student in the school has their daily chores. Here is a little girl carrying water for the kitchen to prepare their daily meal.
PHOTO: Our new intake of pre-schoolers displaying their toys proudly. They are officially our most important students.
PHOTO: Our pre-school teacher, Tito Mabuleza teaching the basics of the human body to the pre-schoolers.
PHOTO: And I can never resist spoiling the kids. Everyone going for a quick drive in my American powered V6 Ford. Kids hardly get the opportunity to drive in a vehicle .... so this always a huge treat with lots of noise, laughter and screams of agony as I pull away.
The latest photos will get you into the mood on what is happening here this morning:
Malaria drug shortage
Our clinics and hospitals in Manica Province, Mozambique has been without malaria drugs for a few week now with no sign of getting any stock. What makes this worse is the fact that Mozambique is in its peak malaria season. The constant rain makes this problem even worse.
Our population, including us, has been severely hit with malaria this season. To top this off - you can actually if you have enough cash (which our local bush communities does not have) buy some meds on the local black market. Some of these drugs was stolen from local hospitals but to find proof is extremely difficult. One of the outfits providing meds to Mozambique, it has been reported, was involved in a corruption scandal which left our clinics without malaria and other medical supplies.
The following story also emerged from Mozambique:
Maputo — The province of Zambezia, in the centre of Mozambique, is suffering a medical crisis since the end of November last year, a situation characterised by a shortage of medicines in local health units. This is leaving patients facing enormous difficulties in getting the drugs that they need.
The newspaper "Noticias" reported on the crisis from Quelimane, the capital of Zambezia province. It reported that since last week many patients who went to outpatients had to return home without their medicines.
Some health clinics in Quelimane have also had difficulties since December getting enough materials for dressings.
However, the provincial director of Health in Zambezia, Alberto Baptista, categorically rejected the allegations about the breakdown in the supply of medicines, but admitted that at this moment the province is without the capacity to send medicines to the districts.
Baptista acknowledged that there were shortages in medicines, but argued that all the health units have drugs, but just not in the quantities required.
He said that in the event of any disruption to supply, the authorities would look to resolve the problem through the internal redistribution of medicines.
On 31 December Health Minister Alexandre Manguele admitted that the country's hospitals had to use expired drugs in 2010 due to the shortage of medicines in the National Health Service (SNS).
"We had to use expired medicines. But we first analysed, outside the country, the possibility of extending the validity of the medicines", said the minister, adding that "when we have to face this sort of situation, it means that we do not have enough drugs."
According to Manguele, the shortages affect antiretroviral, tuberculosis and anti-malarial drugs, but the Health Ministry is currently working to acquire them. To this end, the Ministry's Central Medical Stores has 500 million meticais (about 15 million US dollars) to spend on importing these drugs.
"We are making an enormous effort to normalize this situation in the first quarter of 2011", said the minister.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is redistributing existing drugs, some of which are about to expire, to various parts of the country
Our population, including us, has been severely hit with malaria this season. To top this off - you can actually if you have enough cash (which our local bush communities does not have) buy some meds on the local black market. Some of these drugs was stolen from local hospitals but to find proof is extremely difficult. One of the outfits providing meds to Mozambique, it has been reported, was involved in a corruption scandal which left our clinics without malaria and other medical supplies.
The following story also emerged from Mozambique:
Maputo — The province of Zambezia, in the centre of Mozambique, is suffering a medical crisis since the end of November last year, a situation characterised by a shortage of medicines in local health units. This is leaving patients facing enormous difficulties in getting the drugs that they need.
The newspaper "Noticias" reported on the crisis from Quelimane, the capital of Zambezia province. It reported that since last week many patients who went to outpatients had to return home without their medicines.
However, the provincial director of Health in Zambezia, Alberto Baptista, categorically rejected the allegations about the breakdown in the supply of medicines, but admitted that at this moment the province is without the capacity to send medicines to the districts.
Baptista acknowledged that there were shortages in medicines, but argued that all the health units have drugs, but just not in the quantities required.
He said that in the event of any disruption to supply, the authorities would look to resolve the problem through the internal redistribution of medicines.
On 31 December Health Minister Alexandre Manguele admitted that the country's hospitals had to use expired drugs in 2010 due to the shortage of medicines in the National Health Service (SNS).
Relevant Links
According to Manguele, the shortages affect antiretroviral, tuberculosis and anti-malarial drugs, but the Health Ministry is currently working to acquire them. To this end, the Ministry's Central Medical Stores has 500 million meticais (about 15 million US dollars) to spend on importing these drugs.
"We are making an enormous effort to normalize this situation in the first quarter of 2011", said the minister.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is redistributing existing drugs, some of which are about to expire, to various parts of the country
Sunday, January 30, 2011
God's culture
Being culturally sensitive is so ingrained in me that I hardly think about it anymore. For the more than a decade that I have been working and worshiping with Mozambicans there is no other way if you want to touch people in a culture so different than yours. I have made many many mistakes within this interesting African culture in Mozambique. Sometimes I have kneeled and clapped my hands as a way of greeting (works here with the Shona culture) just to find out in southern Mozambique with the Shangaan that they think "this white man is crazy"! Only to get up and try another method in vain. And although Africa has so many tribes there are common denominators.
BUT ... there are certain "cultural ways" that are just unacceptable. I have preached, taught and tried my best to warn everyone about certain practices that is just not on. And that includes the greedy, "I own it all" western culture. At the end when we are touched by God's culture - we change. We leave behind the greediness of a Western society or the superstitious, sometimes fearful, African culture. God brings change.
I read an article by YWAM guru, Floyd McClung as he also warns about a culture that can destroy. And I have to agree when he writes:
It's not easy when you receive a warning from the Lord regarding false teaching, but the Lord gave me just that kind of warning recently. I was impressed with Paul's warning to the elders of the church in Ephesus (Acts 20) to guard the flock against wolves in sheep's clothing, and God spoke to me to be on guard against false teaching coming in to our churches.
There is an abundance of false teaching in Africa (ancestor worship, extreme prosperity teaching, witch doctors, multiple-wives, very domineering authority robbing people of their priesthood, witch doctors in the church, "don't read your Bible" kind of teaching, etc.). Sadly, there is not just false teaching among the African indigenous churches, but there is also a lot of false teaching coming from the West.
To help our African emerging leaders and church members discern truth from lies, we have found it important to put an emphasis on reading the word with a focus on simple obedience, discovering what God is saying in inductive Bible study, then obeying the word as God speaks one's heart.
By obeying that "one thing" God emphasizes to be obeyed, we see people grow in knowledge of truth and spiritual maturity. We believe and teach that false teaching gains a foot-hold primarily through lack of obedience to the simple and obvious truths of the gospel, particularly as it relates to daily life: how I treat my wife/husband, honesty, sexual purity, taking responsibility for my choices, sharing the gospel, loving one another, forgiving our enemies, rejecting lies about ourselves and God, refusing to submit to witch doctors and elders who practice ancestor worship, etc.
Keep on praying as we continue to serve the people of Mozambique - in every tribe and every language and culture. We appreciate you more than you might know!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
MOZAMBIQUE: Today's highlights
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Ready, steady .... don't go!
We all have our weird perceptions about Mondays! I don't have any - never had .... until this morning. Today is suppose to be the beginning of 2011 - and we were so ready to start it off with a bang. Well, come to think of it we did start off with a bang. Mozambique (bush life I must add) is always a story of total opposites. Complete joy the one minute and complete sadness the next. Let me share the day as it went on:
08:00 Due to torrential rains ..... due to some bad driving I think, I got stuck in the mud on my way to our School opening. Needless to say .... I dare not waste a minute as parents were waiting anxiously for me to arrive. Well ... I wasted half an hour - thanks to the tractor following me.
09:00 After picking up all the important guests and directors for the school opening 5 km away I arrived at the bush bridge that was suppose to take me to the school. Driving halfway on the bridge it
started tilting and breaking up - with the river flowing nicely underneath. Did I mention the bridge is quite high? No crossing the bridge as I managed to very quickly backtrack with a load full of
screaming kids on the back.
10:00 As I entered our base I was stopped anxiously by someone in the community. A baby was born during the early morning hours and there is complications. Our health post is unable to assist, he
tries to get out with tears and shaking his head.
10:15 We transport the baby and weak mother to the local clinic about 40 km away.
10:25 The baby dies in the car.
10:45 Arrive at the clinic. The mother gets a blood transfusion and makes it - just in time.
11:00 The rest of the team runs around to get food supplies to local orphan houses and get the more than 60 external students into their different houses to start the school year.
12:00 I am tired!
13:00 I will now attempt to cross the falling bridge with my motorbike to get messages across to our
bush school who is also waiting for their monthly food allowance on the other side of the river.
16:00 Made it back in one peace with a lot of mud behind my ears!
17:00 I think I shall retire for the day ....... or as we say here in the bush: "Ate amanha" - until
tomorrow!
20:00 Oh yes ..... and the buck off course ...... he had a good sleep through all the commotion!
08:00 Due to torrential rains ..... due to some bad driving I think, I got stuck in the mud on my way to our School opening. Needless to say .... I dare not waste a minute as parents were waiting anxiously for me to arrive. Well ... I wasted half an hour - thanks to the tractor following me.
09:00 After picking up all the important guests and directors for the school opening 5 km away I arrived at the bush bridge that was suppose to take me to the school. Driving halfway on the bridge it
started tilting and breaking up - with the river flowing nicely underneath. Did I mention the bridge is quite high? No crossing the bridge as I managed to very quickly backtrack with a load full of
screaming kids on the back.
10:00 As I entered our base I was stopped anxiously by someone in the community. A baby was born during the early morning hours and there is complications. Our health post is unable to assist, he
tries to get out with tears and shaking his head.
10:15 We transport the baby and weak mother to the local clinic about 40 km away.
10:25 The baby dies in the car.
10:45 Arrive at the clinic. The mother gets a blood transfusion and makes it - just in time.
11:00 The rest of the team runs around to get food supplies to local orphan houses and get the more than 60 external students into their different houses to start the school year.
12:00 I am tired!
13:00 I will now attempt to cross the falling bridge with my motorbike to get messages across to our
bush school who is also waiting for their monthly food allowance on the other side of the river.
16:00 Made it back in one peace with a lot of mud behind my ears!
17:00 I think I shall retire for the day ....... or as we say here in the bush: "Ate amanha" - until
tomorrow!
20:00 Oh yes ..... and the buck off course ...... he had a good sleep through all the commotion!
Monday, January 17, 2011
It's that man BOB again!
I started my trip at 03:45! It was raining in Zimbabwe and the road overcrowded at Beit Bridge with trucks coming and going. I have to admit this was the most economic activity in a long time. "Things must be changing for the better", I though quietly. I am rudely awakened from my thoughts as I have to avoid a head-on collusion with a truck on the narrow potholed stretch between the south and the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe.
PHOTO: A typical scene in rural Zimbabwe - close to Masvingo.
PHOTO ABOVE: Beautiful Zimbabwe during sunrise and sunset with some Masasa trees.
All is peaceful in the soft rain and it looks like a bumper maize harvest for the local rural communities as I drive through various rural townships. All is peaceful .... until I got to the usual roadblocks. The should be absolutely NO misconception about the fact that Zimbabwe is a total "police state" at the moment. Every 5 km after crossing the Birchenough Bridge we were forced to stop for roadblocks. Although police and military officers were friendly (strangely enough not the ladies .....! Made me think of the praying mantis!) After nearly 15 stops declaring we are carrying nothing that would undermine the safety of old Bob (Robert Mugabe) we could proceed without any problems. YES, nothing has changed in Zimbabwe 2011! I could unfortunately (for obvious reasons) not take photos at these road blocks to place them in this article.
"I WILL RULE AGAIN AFTER THE NEXT ELECTION .... UNTIL I AM 93" - Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Robert Mugabe is 88 years of age. Most men I know at 88 are gentle, frail and understanding. Maybe his wife's affair with the President of the Zim Reserve Bank made him angry but Bob is on the warpath again. The relationship with him and Morgan Tswangerai (the man he stole the election from) has deteriorated beyond repair. And the local Zimbabwean (who doesn't vote for the ZANU-PF party) is once again fearing for their lives. Except for the fact that the ruling ZANU-PF has taken their election campaign to the pulpit the Catholic bishops in Zimbabwe has voiced their concern over rising political violence in Zimbabwe. Add that to the fact that previous President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki are implicated in vote rigging during the previous election (thanks to WikiLeaks) makes the Zim issue a volcano waiting to erupt .... again.
Please pray for the current situation in Zimbabwe. Mozambique president, Armando Gabuza has announced recently that he will retire after the next election. Maybe old Bob should learn from the democracy of his neighboring state (where we are going for our 3 president in less than 15 years), Mozambique where peace prevails boldly!
PHOTO ABOVE: Beautiful Zimbabwe during sunrise and sunset with some Masasa trees.
All is peaceful in the soft rain and it looks like a bumper maize harvest for the local rural communities as I drive through various rural townships. All is peaceful .... until I got to the usual roadblocks. The should be absolutely NO misconception about the fact that Zimbabwe is a total "police state" at the moment. Every 5 km after crossing the Birchenough Bridge we were forced to stop for roadblocks. Although police and military officers were friendly (strangely enough not the ladies .....! Made me think of the praying mantis!) After nearly 15 stops declaring we are carrying nothing that would undermine the safety of old Bob (Robert Mugabe) we could proceed without any problems. YES, nothing has changed in Zimbabwe 2011! I could unfortunately (for obvious reasons) not take photos at these road blocks to place them in this article.
"I WILL RULE AGAIN AFTER THE NEXT ELECTION .... UNTIL I AM 93" - Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Robert Mugabe is 88 years of age. Most men I know at 88 are gentle, frail and understanding. Maybe his wife's affair with the President of the Zim Reserve Bank made him angry but Bob is on the warpath again. The relationship with him and Morgan Tswangerai (the man he stole the election from) has deteriorated beyond repair. And the local Zimbabwean (who doesn't vote for the ZANU-PF party) is once again fearing for their lives. Except for the fact that the ruling ZANU-PF has taken their election campaign to the pulpit the Catholic bishops in Zimbabwe has voiced their concern over rising political violence in Zimbabwe. Add that to the fact that previous President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki are implicated in vote rigging during the previous election (thanks to WikiLeaks) makes the Zim issue a volcano waiting to erupt .... again.
Please pray for the current situation in Zimbabwe. Mozambique president, Armando Gabuza has announced recently that he will retire after the next election. Maybe old Bob should learn from the democracy of his neighboring state (where we are going for our 3 president in less than 15 years), Mozambique where peace prevails boldly!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
125 mm's of blessings!
It's flooding everywhere it seems. The pictures and sad stories from Australia were heart touching. More flooding in Sri Lanka, South Africa and even Mozambique adds to the agony. Climate change? Who knows ..... the truth is rainfall patterns are changing. Mozambique usually gets a lot of rain during November through April (about 1 200mm in a good raining season).
The last few nights we were soaked with more than 125 mm's of rain. The importance of good rain can never be underestimated but to really understand what rain means to the bush people of Mozambique you have to live here to hear them laugh and break out in joyous applause. Too much rain can silence the joy very quickly as we saw a few nights ago.
PHOTO: Our garden that produces food for our school and orphan programs were totally flooded. A few banana trees are hanging on for dear life!
PHOTO: Behind our lemon trees is our garden that washed away during more than 100 mm of rain for the night.
PHOTO: I think the bananas are actually anchoring the fragile banana trees.
PHOTO: The Mucombeze river which borders our garden and houses ...... showing its angry face.
And if all the flooding is not enough this is how South Africa is currently looking:
The last few nights we were soaked with more than 125 mm's of rain. The importance of good rain can never be underestimated but to really understand what rain means to the bush people of Mozambique you have to live here to hear them laugh and break out in joyous applause. Too much rain can silence the joy very quickly as we saw a few nights ago.
PHOTO: Our garden that produces food for our school and orphan programs were totally flooded. A few banana trees are hanging on for dear life!
PHOTO: Behind our lemon trees is our garden that washed away during more than 100 mm of rain for the night.
PHOTO: I think the bananas are actually anchoring the fragile banana trees.
PHOTO: The Mucombeze river which borders our garden and houses ...... showing its angry face.
And if all the flooding is not enough this is how South Africa is currently looking:
Saturday, January 15, 2011
More surprises on the road!
I found more passion on my driving trip. I love motor sport (and more particularly F1) and could just not resist stopping at one of the most spectacular racing machines of the modern age. And yes ..... I grabbed my camera got my wife on the other end and started shooting!
If this Red Bull Renault F1 V10 (I am talking about the car .... just checking!) doesn't get your heart racing then motor sport is not for you. I'll forgive you. Just had to get more photos of this model ..... with my red faced wife who had no choice but taking picture in public. Even if the sign said: DO NOT TOUCH - I did! I mean ... it's a one in a life time opportunity.
And that's what it is all about - art and speed brought together in perfect harmony!
..... and I even got friends and family joining the admiration I share for F1.
The smallest "office" in the world .... I'm sure!
If this Red Bull Renault F1 V10 (I am talking about the car .... just checking!) doesn't get your heart racing then motor sport is not for you. I'll forgive you. Just had to get more photos of this model ..... with my red faced wife who had no choice but taking picture in public. Even if the sign said: DO NOT TOUCH - I did! I mean ... it's a one in a life time opportunity.
And that's what it is all about - art and speed brought together in perfect harmony!
..... and I even got friends and family joining the admiration I share for F1.
The smallest "office" in the world .... I'm sure!
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Meeting a friend on the road!
I am still on the road! Listening to thunder and lightning at the moment. One of the most memorable moments (apart from Christmas and New Year ....) was when someone phoned me and asked if I could set aside a few moments to meet an old friend. You never have to ask me ..... just give me the address.
Reggie was a friend I met in Rwanda in 2008 at one of Amahoro's gatherings. Needless to say .... Reggie transformed a part of my life! We shared a room and discovered life together! He was with his family when I arrived and after a long absence met each other again! To read our whole story just check our link at http://lovemoz.blogspot.com/2008/06/zulu-afrikaner-and-r100.html
PHOTO: Reggie and his family during his vacation time.
PHOTO: Women power. Alta with Reggie's beautiful wife.
Reggie was a friend I met in Rwanda in 2008 at one of Amahoro's gatherings. Needless to say .... Reggie transformed a part of my life! We shared a room and discovered life together! He was with his family when I arrived and after a long absence met each other again! To read our whole story just check our link at http://lovemoz.blogspot.com/2008/06/zulu-afrikaner-and-r100.html
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Happy New Year
Need I say more! Thanks for the great and awesome support during 2010. May health, goodness and joy follow you all during the coming year! May you change your world around you during the coming year with HIS love and grace.
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