Mozambique - Week 1

I’ve been in Mozambique for over a week now. The dust is beginning to settle and I’ve started to gather my thoughts around everything that’s been going on. I’ve already experienced a whole heck of a lot and will try to recap this past week as best as I can.

Children’s Relief International partners with The Ray of Light Project. The Ray of Light Project is run by local Mozambicans, Jeronimo and Noemia Cessito. The project includes a variety of initiatives: schools, clinics, churches, daycares, an AIDS hospice, a farm, and a bakery. These units are spread throughout the village of Dondo. My team of 11 has split up to work in the different programs best suited to each member’s interests and abilities. I’ve been teaching English in the elementary and VoTech schools. It has been a bit challenging at times, since most of the children do not know a lick of English. God is definitely teaching me humility through this experience. As I dance and sing at the top of my lungs for these children, all of my pride goes out the window. (For those who don’t know about my singing abilities… a co-worker of mine described it as the sound of a dying cat... thanks, Brian).

A couple of times this week I’ve toured the village - visiting homes, markets, schools, etc. I learned that approximately 4 out of 5 people in this area are infected with HIV or AIDS. Can you believe it?!?! Apparently the official statistics are much lower because many people refuse to get tested (out of embarrassment, denial, fear, pride, etc.) I find this quite astounding.

I also had the opportunity to serve soup in the hospital (people generally go to the hospital when they are in their final stage of life). The Ray of Light project sends volunteers to the hospital once a day. During this time we pray with the patients and serve them a hot meal. It may be their only meal of the day. The building is divided into 5 wards which house about 6 people each. There is a separate ward for children, one for women, and another for men. The rooms are very empty, hosting only a steel bed with an empty mattress. Some people have a thin blanket to cover with, while others shiver to keep warm with their clothing. I saw cockroaches scurrying around everywhere; even over the bodies of the patients. It appears the level of care is severely lacking; there is inadequate nursing staff (none when I visited), medical physicians (one doctor for the entire hospital), and hospital staff to keep the environment clean (one woman had died a couple of days earlier but was still lying in her bed). Also, it seems people don’t have the proper nutrition or medication needed to care for their bodies. The bodies looked very emaciated, malnourished and frail. There was little hope in their sunken eyes.

Despite these dire circumstances and the brokenness that I’ve witnessed, there are dedicated people who will stop at nothing to make a difference in the lives of these Mozambicans. I am encouraged by the faithfulness, compassion and servant hearts that I have encountered.

Galatians 5:14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”