It’s Saturday morning – like everywhere else. Time to update my blog. It was a busy week – hot and humid but lots of good things happening during this week …….. let me share a few of the highlights ….. and maybe not so much a highlight:

TEXT BOOKS FOR SCHOOLS: MASSIVE SHORTAGES

The Mozambican Education Department provided us with some of our text books which we will need to teach our grade 1 to 5 students. Some of the students were very happy to have received their first books. Our grade 3 students unfortunately received nothing. That means that of our 53 grade 3’s no one will have a text book this year. The teacher will be the only one who will have a text book which will have to be copied from the blackboard by the kids.

Our Head Master, Joao Feniassi handing over some of the new books to grade 4 students. I think the closed eyes means he his thankful!

Meet all our teachers. From left to right Tito Mabuleza (pre-school and Grade 1), Joao Feniassi (Grade 4 and Head Master), Joao Benjamin (University Graduate – volunteer), Simbulani Paradzai (Grade 3 – new teacher) and Paulo Inacio (Grade 2 and 5).

Government does not pay the salaries of these teacher so the mission are standing in for their salaries.

I couldn’t resist this photo – one of our new students for the year. Dressed to kill in his own stylish suit. Our 2010 intake for our bush school passed the 240 mark as we speak.

MOZAMBICAN DROUGHT DRIES UP FOOD LIFELINE

2010 Started without any rain anywhere. It is dry. As you know all rural people in Africa depend on their local crops to survive for the rest of the year. Mozambique is no exception and maize is the most basic food for the local people. Where January usually measures up to 300mm of rain we have only had about 20 mm. Maize already dried up and still no prospect for any rain. Please pray with us as people are already suffering ….. and again it is the old people and the babies that suffers first. It is a dire situation ….. where even us can only look and pray.

Now that is one of the many things I love about kids. You can never dampen their joyous spirit. Some of our school boys were absolutely overjoyed with life despite the situation.