ASEM's
Projects in Mozambique
1: ASEM Centre in Macurungo, Beira
(Sofala Province)
2: ASEM Centre in Manga, Beira (Sofala Province)
3: ASEM Centre in Gorongoza,
(Sofala Province)
4: ASEM Centre in Nhajusse - Vilankulo, (Inhambane Province)
Projects
1 and 2: Macurungo and Manga are two
Centres with scholastic activities, training activities,
workshops, seminaries, and support for children living
in extreme and serious situations (abuses, extreme
poverty, etc.). Our efforts are focused on:
- Developing work programs with the community
for the family reintegration of orphaned children,
helping them towards self-sustainability;
- Driving funding for scholarships to allow children
and young adults living in extreme poverty to
attend primary and secondary school;
- Driving funding for university scholarships to allow
young adults to attend university and become professionals
and foster positive economic development in the country;
- Driving funding for scholarships for vocational
training (management, administration, accounting,
languages, various manual professions, in accordance
with the needs of the local market);
- Continual activity towards future self-sustainability
for ASEM (bakery, agricultural land, cultivation,
computer business, Service Centre).
Culture and sports
- Traditional dance and theatre instruction (a part
of the psychological rehabilitation program &
job creation);
- Promotion and development of sports activities (a
part of the psychological rehabilitation program);
Project 3: Gorongoza, (Province of Sofala): Centre
ASEM Gorongosa, is primarily a
Centre for diurnal activities and support services to HIV/AIDS
affected children and young adults.
Social area
- Community work programs with families victims of
HIV/AIDS and their children, creating opportunities
for self-sustainability;
- Scholarships in order to allow children and young
adults living in extreme poverty to attend primary
and secondary school;
- Scholarships for vocational training addressing
the needs of the local labor market through the creation
of micro projects for training young adults in the
region, in matter of HIV/AIDS, sewing, handicraft,
fishing and agriculture; training within several areas
of handicraft;
- Activities focused on ASEM's future self-sustainability
(agricultural cultivation, small breeding animals,
etc).
Culture and Sports
- Traditional dance and theatre instruction (education
that is part of the psychological rehabilitation program);
- Sports promotion and development as a part of
the psychological rehabilitation program;
Economic self-sustainability of the projects
- Breeding of small animals
- Fish culture & Agriculture
- Cultivation (Macaze - Gorongosa)
Project 4: Nhajusse - Vilankulo, (Province of Inhambane)
is a cultural, educational and vocational training centre with economical self-sustainable programs
Vilankulo is an important developing tourist destination
for Mozambique: for the past few years more and more
tourists visit the area while more structures are
being built for their hosting and recreation. In the
meantime social development in and around the city
is very low. We find abandoned youths without scholastic
education or work, trying to build a life by selling
in the street and begging. Sometimes they even have
to sell their own body to feed their brothers or the
rest of the family.
Important investments are being done on the tourist
and economic side, but very little on the social side.
You can find hotels and lodges up to 600 USD per night
and you can see children living in the street: contrast
is growing and it's growing dangerous (delinquency,
robberies, etc.), especially for youths who have no opportunities
or hope, receive no support, vocational training or scholastic education.
Aim of the project
Make positive changes to the actual situation, giving youths an opportunity
not to simply watch the above scenario from the outside
with their hands begging, waiting to receive the leftovers,
but to be a part of the development and growth scene.
It will be necessary for them to be able to work on
their vocational training and their education, to be
ready to be of service to the city, the community
and to the themselves: everything should become a positive
equitable exchange and not exploitation and abuse.
The project
The creation of a cultural-educational-training centre,
accompanied by a pre-school, to give the young adults
and children the opportunity to become a positive
and integrated part of society. This development will
present alternatives to street life and begging and
will give their mothers (often alone with the children)
a chance to work knowing that their children are in
a safe place for growth and education.
Social Area
- Pre-school to give them an opportunity to grow in
a healthy way;
- Scholarships (package) to allow children and youths
to attend school (for the poorest of the poor);
- Scholarships for vocational trainings (hotellerie,
administration, various jobs relevant to the development
of local tourism management);
- Labor market integration programs (selection of
job vacancies and labor market follow-through);
- Vocational programs in various handicraft areas;
- Creation of a selling place (market) for handcraft
articles to sell;
- Community work for reintegration of orphans, giving
them the opportunity to become economically independent;
Cultural Area
- Vocational and teaching program in traditional dance
and theatre arts;
- Painting, batik and handicraft production for job-training
and maintaining traditional and local/national cultural
values;
- Tailoring courses and traditional dress-making by
hand.
Economic self sustainable activities
- Dance lessons for tourists
- Handicraft market & Handicraft production
- Concerts and entertainment exhibitions
- Micro-projects around vegetable cultivation and
small animal breeding
- Varied services to local and tourist community
(i.e. Internet Cafè)
- Library (books, newspapers, films)
- Wood oven for bread and pizza production to sell
- Labor market integration programs
- Waste and paper recycling
