ASEM's Activities in Mozambique

Cultural activities: It is important that the children maintain and develop their traditions so that they can preserve their cultural and ancestral identity. The children can choose between theatre, traditional dancing and music. These activities play an important role in the psychological rehabilitation of the children.
Thanks to their enthusiasm, a group of kids have performed a creative play in European cities. Also, a group of youngsters have formed a musical group called "CSC Djembe" and to date have produced two CDs!

Sports activities: Sports allows the children to express their natural need for movement. They have soccer, basketball and track and field.The children are encouraged to take part in at least one of these sports. Although soccer is their favorite sport, ASEM is also proud of the basketball team and its athletes who regularly win regional and national competitions.

Training courses: The youth learn a trade to prepare them for becoming self-sufficient and for building their own futures. These youth have the opportunity to learn many trades: Agriculture, carpentry, construction, pottery, sculpture, basket making, mechanic, hairdressing, administration, management, accounting.

Medical care: On-site nurses are at the disposal of the children for minor injuries. The more serious cases are treated at the regional dispensaries and the Central Hospital of Beira.

Psychological support: To help the children achieve emotional balance, self-confidence and happiness, the educators are present 24 hours a day. Our social assistants look after the children's more serious emotional matters.

Reintegration Program: The family is a much more important concept in Africa than in the Western world. We're referring to both immediate and extended family units. It is common that a child living at one of ASEM's centres has a relative who would accommodate her/him, if they had financial support. This is why ASEM tries to locate the origin of each child, so that she/he may establish contact with the family and ASEM can support their reintegration into the community of origin. ASEM organizes a series of visits in her/his potential future environment. In some cases, ASEM continues to ensure financial support, even after reintegration. Thus, these children can continue to attend school. The youngsters are supported in learning a trade, which will ensure independence and hope for the future. ASEM visits the children after reintegration to ensure that they are treated well and satisfied with their new environment. In this way, not only does the child profit - the entire community does. This allows the community to begin to find its social and cultural balance, which have been destroyed by 30 years of war.

ASEM tries to make each person conscious of their potential and their own sense of responsibility within society. Both of which are important for the rebuilding of Mozambique. One example of this is that all of ASEM's workers are Mozambicans.

 

Back into Family and Society Program:

There exists a concept of family in Africa, which is much wider than the Western one. This is why we speak of a natural and an extended family. The children who are housed in the shelter often have relations who could welcome them into their homes, if they had the economic means to support them. ASEM tries to retrace each child’s history to help him or her find their families and evaluate the possibility to send him or her back to the original community. This process involves a string of visits in the possible foster family, after which the child is left free to choose. After the process is completed ASEM assures a financial support: to the child, so s/he might go on to school; and to the older children, so that they may start on a job to provide them with a minimum of security in their life. Besides, ASEM continues to visit the children for two years subsequent to their return into the family, in order to make sure they are confident in the new environment. This is a way to help not only the children, but the entire community into recovering a social and cultural balance that was torn apart by the war.

ASEM devotes itself to the regaining of a degree of balance and knowledge of the possibilities and responsibilities to participate in the reconstruction of Mozambique. Since 1991 ASEM gave support to over 7000 children through various programs: education, medical and psychological support, vocational training, shelter, food and recreation activities. Hundreds of children found a home at the Macurungo and Manga Centers and over 700 children were reintegrated into their families/community.