A Little Gesture - Mozambique
Pre-school support
Improving living conditions by investing funds in nutrition, basic housing and small-scale community infrastructure, supporting academic and technical education for children and young adults by funding develop income-generating activities and working to eradicate poverty by promoting self-sufficiency and empowerment in families.
Years: 2015, 2016
In Mozambique, only 4% of children have access to some type of pre-school education. Only 44% of students complete elementary school and 60% of adults cannot read and write, higher amongst women. Only 20% of students attend secondary school and university enrolment is under 1%.
Pre-School education is essential in impoverished Xai-Xai to keep children from roaming the street and to start them on their education journey. Early year’s education provides local children with basic numeracy, Portuguese, school habits and emotional support.
ALMT are working with A Little Gesture (ALG) to give free access to adequate pre-school education to children in the Gaza Province in Mozambique. With the incentive of free meals for young impoverished children, this programme will provide adequate education and nutrition for the poorest children and will develop academic learning, improve study habits, secure improved nutrition, build self-esteem and drive a reduction in delinquency rates and school dropouts.
In Mozambique, poor school performance is directly linked to limited access to pre-school education in deprived families. This project will ensure free access to early schooling which will improve interactivity, self-confidence and academic skills.
- In the Gaza Province, rural and underprivileged families use ‘changana’ dialect at home. This means poorer children are at an immediate disadvantage joining pubic school where the language spoken is Portuguese. The pre-school teaches Portuguese daily from three years old removing this obstacle
- ALG pre-schools receive street children from mono parental and often orphan households. They are often malnourished and at risk of future delinquency. EFI removes them from the streets and provides them with school uniforms, materials and daily meals.
- The pre-school offers breakfast and lunch, which is for many children, their only daily meals. School feeding ensures adequate nutrition, class attendance and student attention with the benefit of improved learning abilities and better academic performance.
- The project will also provide free childcare to benefit mothers as it allows them to access a paying job. In the future, girls attending the pre-school will be better educated to make informed decisions and will be less susceptible to diseases and early motherhood.
