News
May 6, 2009
Hi Tiffy,
I'm glad that I could make your day. The collecting of rubbish is actually going to the dumping side of rotten vegetables they fill the back of the old truck (extremely smelly business) Boys don't have problem with that, actually Moises had to reprimand them from eating some not too bad oranges from the dirt! Then they put all that in a hole they made and cover it with soil. After few day they can plant seeds, and apparently" you feed the soil the soil will feed you" for a long time, one can do that in your garden as well- we learned that when we did Health studies and Moises also read some info, from a black SA farmer- Moises is sold to the idea and he is seeing the results already!
In that way the boys will always have fresh veggies. There's a specific group of 4-5 the more responsible one's who come after school, others study from 6am to10am, others from1- to 5 o 'clock- they seem to be enjoying to transplant the seedlings and the watering of plants as well. They don't seem to get enough holes, still digging more, Moises says the more the better, if we have more production we can sell and use the money for other needs of the mission. I will get him to send you some pictures of action and the veggies coming up as well. The garden is closer to the water source, so it's almost by our front entrance, for easy watering and to avoid stealing from the community busybodies.
We've been exploring to get some machinery that my brother has, some was for making juice from home where you get the whole kit of set up material like plastic bottles and sealing machines and the container of the puree- the juice is almost as good as the 100%one!
The other kit of which we were more interested was the ice block making machine, we often have to buy ice and at times they run short, some Indians already do sell ice, but it can still go if one get a busy spot where there's more need. The idea is to buy a spot no matter how small and you can extend when business grows. We see a tremendous growth of population in the city in the last year up to date. Our only obstacles in this case would be the starter capital and the electricity.
Forgot to tell you.-There are also some developments in our community where they are in a process of making a road, as a result we have abridge down by the river and we are using the new road, they still need to work more...takes time, but at the entrance of the community last week municipality surprised us by making holes and putting water tubes a distance of about 50 meters and they guys told Moises that they will go till down where we are or closer. People in the community have no source of fresh water except our place so we were a bit concern what will happen when we put up the water pump system...as usual might take a long time.
So we these in view we hope the council will put electricity poles along the main road and we will be able to get power for lesser and not from far...our hope.
Moises has been brainstorming to enlarge the chicken far but, this time build a more permanent structure. He has gained confidence and experience and things that there are great possibilities in this area. It seems that the best business for our times would be anything to do with food...people always need, even in the middle of financial crises. so far the farm helps that kids(and the family) can eat chickens, pre-school buys when they need... the income helps to pay the guards and for general maintenance of the place and sometimes vehicle etc. but if it's bigger more can be done with the money especially when we have the boys fulltime.. We want to extend our house to build another bedroom and toilet for kids, and a place to do homework and art activities, more like a spacious verandah, they are always fighting for space and we hope to do that from the next chicken sale if all goes well.
Moises did meet wt the English man, he seem to think that the boys need to be literate and practically Portuguese is where we are concentrating for now. He's been diligent wt keeping record with building and I think he will send a report this week, the guys are busy now with tiles in the bathrooms.
We think the brick idea is okay as long as amounts of donation are not put on the wall, that might put us in a bad picture and might not be a wise move for the work- people always complicate because they think we have money and that might be bad for public to see figures... We will be all glad to help with the translation of messages and I like the idea of our kids getting involved as well.
Now I gave you a lot to read, the gang is waiting for me to go home now! please don't invite during snow season, not sure if I could handle that! Just good to see on tv!
Supposed to be cool now in Nampula but I have a fan on now in front of me! In SA it's now cold, I miss the cold a bit sometimes.
Love
Connie
May 4, 2009
Hi Tiffy,
I've been following up the work you are doing to help the project here in Mozambique. You are working too hard, and we appreciate it. We trust that all the efforts will help the mission to be self supportive one day-Moises has some ideas and we always trying to think through possibilities, everything always boils down to starter funds...We appreciate the invitation of Moises to come for the fundraising trip, hope for success.
This year has started with quite positive turnout of children deciding to go to school, others are quite vocal about their regrets of wasting time in the streets instead of studying, some are back home, bigger ones live in groups at times together in the community. Moises has started with trench gardens with other bigger one's, and they enjoyed the process of getting rubbish from the market and now have transplanted the seedlings into the beds, they enjoy watering, a group of 3 come to water plants often, and we are already eating the spinach from the gardens.
The literacy classes are more organized and boys are more serious as they see others being successful in going to school and making it. We have divisions of 2 classes of those who never went to school and those who go to school and can read a bit. It is so amazing how many go to school at the level of Gr 4 kids still cant read well or write, but we are using a literacy manual that they seem to like and we hope they will improve with time.
Generally we feel that we are starting to see the results of the efforts of years in this work. Obviously you get more result if kids are in a safer place and where there are rules and a warm plate of food on daily basis, and where morals and the fear of God is taught.
On the homefront....
The boys are doing well. Lethabo now 8 -in Gr. 4 and doing exceptionally well for his age. This year we managed to incorporate Graca in the school too even though her level is above our primary, she is now 12 doing Gr.7-her teacher is a Zimbabwean with 17yrs experience and so far coping to tutor her, Tariro 5 now crazy than ever doing Preschool, knows how to write his name and numbers still need more practice with alphabets, but quite keen to learn. They all long to see you and speak of special times they had when you were around. You are part of us and we appreciate all your efforts and others to make this work.
Love you lots
Connie
To view previous news from 2008 please click here.