How your fundraising is changing lives in Mozambique

Greetings from Mozambique! Last week I was lucky enough to be visit a variety of different Save the Children projects; on Tuesday I saw three different projects near Chimoio in Manica province.

It also happened to be National Health Week, a Government programme, which Save the Children has contributed to.

Tuesday was the second day and throughout our travels we saw three different health posts for young children where they received a de-worming drink (water and powder), a vitamin A tablet plus a vaccination against measles. It was amazing to be able to see this kind of health intervention in real life.

Getting to the most hard to reach areas is one of the biggest challenges, so Save the Children has supported the campaign by providing petrol and transportation costs.

One of the make-shift health posts we saw was at a community centre, 17km down a sand track from the main road. It was providing potentially life saving and simple medicine to lots of beautiful babies and young children.

This community centre was also a whole lot more. The centre is run by an association of local people who are committed to improving the lives and the futures of their children.

They are fighting for their quality education, health, protection and rights. At the centre that I saw, they were already planning for their sustainability and longevity.

There is a school, with fully trained teachers. They have vocational training in carpentry, horticulture, construction, decorating and building.

There’s also a permanent health post, with a trained health worker. They have debates and lessons about child rights and child protection which involve the whole community. They have latrines and education about hygiene.

Whole lives will be improved and the futures of these children. Communities like this need Save the Children’s support to start off, but from the outset they are planning on how to make this development work in the longterm and ensure that all the knowledge that is learnt is then spread within the community.

Communities mobilized

It has been brilliant to see entire communities entirely mobilized and empowered, thanks to support from Save the Children.

Working in fundraising, it has been rewarding to see where and how we use the funds that are raised. Someone running the Loch Ness Marathon for us will have a profound effect on communities like this. 

It really is fantastic to think of it like that. One person challenging themselves here, by training hard and spending hours running, can, by encouraging their friends and families to sponsor them, support a communities who have taken up the challenge to improve the lives of the families and children in the area. 

For more information about how you can get involved in fundraising for programmes like this, take a look at www.savethechildren.org.uk/events