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| Above is the group from Arkansas posing for a picture with the mountains of Nampula. |
It is incredible to be in Mozambique and wake up each day to learn
something so far different from anything that has ever been experienced
before. With the first week of research completed we celebrated Friday
by taking a tour of the all the area around New Horizon farm as well as
partner organizations. This was a half day in Nampula because we left on
a bus for the beach later that afternoon.
The tour began with Ebenezer, the area that I am most familiar with. We met Chris, the head agriculture coach to play some games with the apprentices. A unique aspect of Mozambican culture is that a majority of the people are able to carry just about anything on their heads. This is a valuable skill when is comes to walking long distances or carrying items that in our arms might seem bulky.
The game was simple. We were divided into two teams; one being the apprentices and the other being students from the University of Arkansas. Barely anyone on the UofA team was able to make a lap for the relay race without dropping the open bottle of water while the apprentices carried it with ease. It was fun to play this game and see a strength of the locals that we Americans lack. Not only were we able to play games, but the UofA students were able to learn a little more about the purpose of Ebenezer and the work that is taking place in the agriculture sector.
The tour began with Ebenezer, the area that I am most familiar with. We met Chris, the head agriculture coach to play some games with the apprentices. A unique aspect of Mozambican culture is that a majority of the people are able to carry just about anything on their heads. This is a valuable skill when is comes to walking long distances or carrying items that in our arms might seem bulky.
The game was simple. We were divided into two teams; one being the apprentices and the other being students from the University of Arkansas. Barely anyone on the UofA team was able to make a lap for the relay race without dropping the open bottle of water while the apprentices carried it with ease. It was fun to play this game and see a strength of the locals that we Americans lack. Not only were we able to play games, but the UofA students were able to learn a little more about the purpose of Ebenezer and the work that is taking place in the agriculture sector.
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| Above is one of the apprentices carrying the water during the relay race. The John Deer tractor in the back is a key indicator that we were at the agricultural area of the farm. |
The group hiked a nearby rock to gain a better view of the farm. From
here we were able to see the boys and girls’ dormitories for the
apprentices along with all the different field plots of cabbage, corn,
and tomatoes. There are a lot of plans for the future that include:
installing irrigation, increasing poultry production, and designing new
buildings for the apprentices.
After touring Ebenezer we went to another organization near New Horizons
farm that is called Eggs for Africa. This organization is a different
business than New Horizons; however, both work under the umbrella idea
of Communities Infusion. The concept of Communities Infusion is based of
the idea of atoms colliding together to create more energy than either
one had separately. The same is true for organizations that are working
to increase food security in Nampula.
Eggs for Africa does exactly what their name says and that is produce eggs for markets. At the moment they have ~60,000 laying hens that produce eggs day after day. Mr. John Wayne is associated with Eggs for Africa and him and his wife have a personal goal to provide an egg a day for school children. This has many benefits for the children and community such as providing protein to developing minds, incentive for children to go to school while also strengthening their relationships with teachers. The egg a day program began with several hundred children once a week and has now grown to 750 children 5 days a week. This equals about $5 a month for a child to have an egg a day.
As part of the Eggs for Africa program they are working to reduce waste whenever possible. The chicks that are “culled” meaning they are not suitable for production are fed to crocodiles nearby. This might seem strange at first, but it is a great idea that has developed into something truly valuable.
Eggs for Africa does exactly what their name says and that is produce eggs for markets. At the moment they have ~60,000 laying hens that produce eggs day after day. Mr. John Wayne is associated with Eggs for Africa and him and his wife have a personal goal to provide an egg a day for school children. This has many benefits for the children and community such as providing protein to developing minds, incentive for children to go to school while also strengthening their relationships with teachers. The egg a day program began with several hundred children once a week and has now grown to 750 children 5 days a week. This equals about $5 a month for a child to have an egg a day.
As part of the Eggs for Africa program they are working to reduce waste whenever possible. The chicks that are “culled” meaning they are not suitable for production are fed to crocodiles nearby. This might seem strange at first, but it is a great idea that has developed into something truly valuable.
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| Above is a photo of a worker gathering chicks to feed to the crocodiles. |
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| Above is a photo of the crocodiles. Once they are mature their skins will be utilized and meat consumed. This is just one way that all the aspects of production are being used and waste is reduced. |
The last stop of the tour was at Rapale International School (RIS). This
school has children from all around that world that for one reason or
another are now living in Mozambique. This is different from most of the
schools in the surrounding area because it goes beyond a 4th
grade education and has the ability to teach at the high school level
thanks to online technology.
It does cost to attend this school; however, the buildings were funded by grants which help to lessen the burden of tuition. The primary language is English, but second languages are taught such as Portuguese and French and a majority of the students speak several languages at home.
It does cost to attend this school; however, the buildings were funded by grants which help to lessen the burden of tuition. The primary language is English, but second languages are taught such as Portuguese and French and a majority of the students speak several languages at home.
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| Above is me and other students from the UofA with girls that attend RIS. It was great to spend time with them during their recess. When I asked the girls about their day-to-day life the similarities far outweighed the differences from my upbringing in the States. They are not huge fans of homework, but do it anyways and enjoy running and playing with their friends. After they finish school at RIS these girls have BIG plans that included attending a University and becoming doctors, accountants, veterinarians, actresses, and lawyers. I have no doubt that they will be able to do all of these things and more. |
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| Above is a photo of a typical classroom at RIS. The students are placed in grades of two unlike in the United States where each grade has one teacher and their own classroom. For example this would be a classroom for 4th and 5th graders. I was impressed with the materials that were available to the students here at RIS. |
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Read more from Olivia at https://mozambiquefarming.wordpress.com/
To find out more about the faculty-led Community Development
in Mozambique summer program, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/mozambique
