FHI Mozambique Programs

FHI in Mozambique
            Year started:   1987
            Number of Beneficiaries:  200,000
            Number of Staff:   199

FHI began providing food and aid in Mozambique in 1987 in response to chronic food insecurity caused by civil war and drought.  As security improved, FHI established food-for-work programmes to build roads and bridges.  In 1988, FHI received government permission to operate in Mozambique.  Between 1990 and 1997, FHI facilitated its Sofala Province Extension and Agriculture Rehabilitation Project (SPEAR) alongside Child Development  and Church Strengthening Programmes in Sofala Province.  SPEAR was succeeded by the Development Activity Programme (DAP) in June 1997.  This programme encompassed agricultural productivity, enterprise marketing, and maternal and child health.  The DAP was renewed in 2001 and will operate until 2006. Like the SPEAR, DAP operates alongside the on-going Child Development and Church Strengthening Programmes.
 

Agriculture

Church Strengthening Program

Child and  Maternal Health

Child Development Program

Agriculture Program 2002-2006: The goal of this program is to increase farming families' income by 40% by focusing on crop yield, storage, apiculture, and marketing. Increased income accompanied with a change of values will allow families to put food on the table, send all of their children to school, and give to local churches.

• Over 17,000 participants trained in improved agricultural practices
• Training 320 farmer marketing cooperatives

Child and Maternal Health (2002-2006):
The program goal is to improve the overall health and nutritional status of children under five years of age.  The objective is to decrease chronic malnutrition in children 6-59 months of age by 20%.

• Reaches 38,800 households using trained volunteer mothers to disseminate messages.
• Focuses on nutrition education, improved home management, prevention and care seeking for common but deadly childhood diseases (anemia, eiarrhea, pneumonia, and malaria), immunization, and HIV/AIDS and STD prevention and control.
• Strengthens the capacity of local churches in disseminating relevant information towards the prevention of HIV/AIDS and mobilizing members for community care initiatives to support families and orphans affected by the epidemic.

 Pastor and volunteer counselor with AIDS orphans

Church Strengthening Program: This program is working to capacitate and encourage the Church to help meet both spiritual and physical needs in the community.   To accomplish this, it works to impart the vision of holistic ministry in FHI staff, community leaders, and pastors in the areas where FHI/Mozambique is working.

• 40 pastors graduated from 3-year basic theology course. They are making plans to train other pastors.
• 40 women participate in adult literacy classes run by church volunteers.
• 160 pastors participated in AIDS awareness workshops and were encouraged to care for the orphans, widows, and chronically sick in their communities.

Child Development Program:  This program invests in tomorrow's leaders by aiding their growth intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and physically.   To accomplish this, the program  focuses on three factors that have the most impact in Mozambique.  First, is access to education. A child is given opportunities to receive education and learn useful knowledge from it, and a child learns how to discern good and bad. The second factor is improving educational institutions.  Third is a relationship with God and church; a child comes to know God, and loves Him and neighbors. A church is concerned with  a community, and desires to be a blessing.

• Assists the main influencers of a child- parents, teachers and pastors to better perform their roles.
• Provided school fees and supplies for 1170 children from disadvantaged families.
• 15 Sunday School teachers were trained and 15 school teachers are currently in an acreditation program to improve the quality of education.