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| Above are the older girls at the preschool eating their breakfast and smiling at our arrival. |
Every Wednesday we have the opportunity to take a trip as a group and
take part in various experiences in the surrounding community like visit
an orphanage, market, or other community themed event. This week we
planned to visit a local preschool down the road from New Horizon Farm
in the city of Rapale. The children were between the ages of 3-5.
However, some were a little older if they had special arrangements made.
When we arrived all the children were served breakfast and we waited as
they finished. The typical breakfast was made from cooked cornmeal
which is a common staple food in Mozambique. Another crop that may be
eaten is cassava which is similar to potato and overall lacks
nutritional value, but makes the body feel like it is full temporarily.
Nevertheless, it is a gift that these children are provided one meal, because it may likely be the only meal they have all day. It is beautiful that this school is sponsored by a church in Brazil as well as the local church. The pastor’s wife is the lead teacher at the school and spreads high energy through sounds wherever she goes. For this community it is a privilege that the children are able to gain education because otherwise they would most likely have no other chance.
All of the teachers at the school work on a merely volunteer basis and their willingness to help others comes naturally. The teachers sang songs to welcome us and we handed out suckers to the youngest group of children and watched as their faces lite us with the burst of flavors (of course after we realized we had to help them with removing the wrappers).
Nevertheless, it is a gift that these children are provided one meal, because it may likely be the only meal they have all day. It is beautiful that this school is sponsored by a church in Brazil as well as the local church. The pastor’s wife is the lead teacher at the school and spreads high energy through sounds wherever she goes. For this community it is a privilege that the children are able to gain education because otherwise they would most likely have no other chance.
All of the teachers at the school work on a merely volunteer basis and their willingness to help others comes naturally. The teachers sang songs to welcome us and we handed out suckers to the youngest group of children and watched as their faces lite us with the burst of flavors (of course after we realized we had to help them with removing the wrappers).
Bieneto was the most impactful experience of this trip for me thus far.
He was an older student at the school who is challenged in more ways
than those living in Mozambique that are his same age. The exact
diagnosis of his condition is unknown because there is limited
healthcare available; however the teachers at the school look after him
as closely as they can. With nearly 100 other students he still lacks
the care that is needed. When we walked into the classroom the children
sang to welcome us in. Bieneto stood with the others, but only with the
assistance of one of the teachers.
From our first moment of eye connection I knew that something was different between him and the others. As the song came to an end all the children rushed us for a group hug, but he was not able to. The teacher gently sat him on the floor to join the other children in a hug. His knees were bent inward and it was evident that he could not stand, walk, or talk. A knot formed in my throat and tears filled my eyes when the limitations of his life were just barely being realized. There are no words to describe how difficult each and every moment must be for him and still he wore a smile joyfully. It was time to go outside and play with soccer balls, bubbles, and jump ropes.
As all the children fled the classroom, he was left sitting with his arms extended outward for help so that he too could join. Once again with the assistance from a teacher he was able to sit outside and watch along as others played. My heart was heavy with a mixture of emotions. I am beyond thankful for every blessing that has been provided to me that oftentimes are taken for granted. This travel has taught me that there is little empowerment that comes with self-guilt. However, if that feeling can be transformed into gratitude we can unlock the secret to sharing these riches we have been fortunate enough to receive.
From our first moment of eye connection I knew that something was different between him and the others. As the song came to an end all the children rushed us for a group hug, but he was not able to. The teacher gently sat him on the floor to join the other children in a hug. His knees were bent inward and it was evident that he could not stand, walk, or talk. A knot formed in my throat and tears filled my eyes when the limitations of his life were just barely being realized. There are no words to describe how difficult each and every moment must be for him and still he wore a smile joyfully. It was time to go outside and play with soccer balls, bubbles, and jump ropes.
As all the children fled the classroom, he was left sitting with his arms extended outward for help so that he too could join. Once again with the assistance from a teacher he was able to sit outside and watch along as others played. My heart was heavy with a mixture of emotions. I am beyond thankful for every blessing that has been provided to me that oftentimes are taken for granted. This travel has taught me that there is little empowerment that comes with self-guilt. However, if that feeling can be transformed into gratitude we can unlock the secret to sharing these riches we have been fortunate enough to receive.
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| Bieneto waves with excitement to play with the bubbles as they float through the air. In this moment we were able to share laughs and smiles to push away any pain even for just a short while. |
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| Students on the trip choose fabric from all colors and patterns imaginable at a market in Mozambique. |
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| Teachers from the school. |
In the photo above teachers from the school stand at the window of a
fabric store to choose a pattern for the traditional skirt (capalana).
These women work as volunteers and as the girls in our group chose
skirts they asked if anyone would buy them one. Having seen their
ability to give so selflessly the words “Yes” immediately crossed my
lips, but the only condition was that the fabric be shared amongst all
of them.
A special deal was arranged to buy a role of fabric that would make 10 skirts, enough for all the teachers. They were excited to choose the pattern and talked amongst themselves for a good while before settling on the right one. Similar to that in the States, if you get five women together to agree to one pattern it could take a while… Just another example of how we have more in common than we do different. The fabric ended up costing 550 mets which is equivalent to approximately $11. This is close to nothing for the average American, but to a Mozambican highway worker who makes 1,000 mets a week working 8 hours a day cutting grass with a machete, it is a small fortune. It was worth more than any monetary value to see their faces light up with excitement to the new fabric that would be worn many times over.
A special deal was arranged to buy a role of fabric that would make 10 skirts, enough for all the teachers. They were excited to choose the pattern and talked amongst themselves for a good while before settling on the right one. Similar to that in the States, if you get five women together to agree to one pattern it could take a while… Just another example of how we have more in common than we do different. The fabric ended up costing 550 mets which is equivalent to approximately $11. This is close to nothing for the average American, but to a Mozambican highway worker who makes 1,000 mets a week working 8 hours a day cutting grass with a machete, it is a small fortune. It was worth more than any monetary value to see their faces light up with excitement to the new fabric that would be worn many times over.
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| As we stood outside the fabric store, my eyes could not avoid being drawn to those standing around me. |
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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
