My Site Placement!

Where: Macia, Gaza Province (Southern Mozambique)

We had a pit stop there on the way to the beach this past weekend, so I got to walk around the market and look around for a bit, and it looks great! I’m really excited.

Information about Macia

• The languages spoken are Portuguese and Changana (a local dialect)
• It’s super close to great beaches: about 30 minutes from Bilene (went there this past weekend; see below) and 45 minutes from Xai-Xai. It’s also about two and a half hours from Maputo, the capital.
• A main road runs through the town, which is medium-sized and has a large market where one can get everything from produce to dishes and bacías (the wide buckets used for bathing, washing clothes, xi-xi-ing in the middle of the night so you don’t have to go outside, etc.) to a new weave.
• I will definitely have electricity and cell phone coverage, and there is most likely internet somewhere in town.
• The gas station next to the market has lots of good treats, including: Kit Kats, Snickers, Pringles, Peanut M&Ms, and ice cream. Pumped.
• I will have two education site mates (not roommates), and lots of Peace Corps Volunteers living nearby. From Moz15, there are 15 of us going to Gaza Province, plus 5 going to nearby Maputo Province. Plus there are plenty of Moz14ers in the area as well.
• This is a new placement, meaning that the three of us are the first volunteers to serve in Macia.

My Organizations:

I have a joint placement, which means I will be balancing my time between two organizations. They are both small community-based organizations (CBOs), and one of them is also a faith-based organization (FBO). The descriptions I received about each organization are below, but I won’t really know what I will be doing until I’ve been there for a while. I’m most excited for the opportunities to work with kids.

The CBO/FBO, Associação Crista, provides material support (housing repair, food, home-based care visits) to about 40 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). They also have a beneficiary base of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) and youth which was increased quickly to about 110. Therefore, the development of programs and activities for OVCs and youth is a major priority. They currently meet at a local bible school but have a plot of land where they hope to construct an office.

Requested assistance:

• Assist with home visits
• Develop projects in relation to the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses
• Develop initiatives to promote treatment adherence
• Develop income generation projects
• Assist in the organization’s food security activities (including diet and nutrition education)

The other CBO, AJAAB (I don’t know what that acronym means), helps vulnerable members of the population access local health care and support services (including psycho-social, moral, and material). They work with local government institutions and other community development players to do so.

Requested assistance:

• Develop/obtain/organize/improve creative psychosocial and education materials for OVCs affected by HIV/AIDS
• Train youth as peer educators in the prevention of HIV/AIDS
• Carry out community education on children’s rights
• Facilitate exchanges with local artists and authors of children’s educational materials
• Participate in meetings with local government institutions and other key players in community development
• Visit and evaluate other community pre-schools, as well as adult literacy centers
• Identify OVCs in the community to participate in the organization’s programs
• Organize a tree-planting project throughout the community using the help of the organization’s OVCs
• Construct play centers and areas for the organization’s OVCs using locally available materials
• Assist local students in further education opportunities and exam preparation