There is a lot of news about the Escolinha and the Community Center in Lumbo.
As mentioned in the previous newsletter, there have been discussions with the mayor, the ‘chefe de posto of Lumbo’ and a deputy, Vasco, of the Cooperação Portuguesa. The biggest challenge this time was to find a suitable plot where we can begin construction of the school, library and community centre without any problems and with cooperation of the local community. After another visit by the mayor and his deputies, we were successful and we were assigned a great plot. Spacious, with trees for shade and even a kind of courtyard where children can play safely and where we start a shared machamba (vegetable garden). All the papers are signed. Now it can really take off.
To celebrate this, we organized a party for all children in Lumbo, together with the Cooperação Portuguesa. A play was staged about planting a mango tree. The day before, we baked 300 coconut cookies with moringa, while on the day itself a big pot of vegetable soup was made (again with Moringa), together with 200 breads from the local bakery.
The turnout was overwhelming, despite the rain. There were over 270 children present and of course some parents. After the performance, there was an explanation of the new school that is being built, what they can expect of it and in addition, we also explained the importance to eat daily moringa and how healthy it is for them. The kids seemed to enjoy it very much and eventually went home with a cup of soup, a sandwich and a moringa-cookie.
a small movie
Of course we have done much more, like going back to the hospital in Mossuril to dispense medications. It’s always encouraging to see how grateful the doctors are there if we bring back some additional stock. We talked to both doctors and they’ve sent a new list of the most necessary drugs at this time. Our stock, which we have built up with the help of the Meander Foundation and a doctor from Cham, has been decreased significantly so we will have to invest again. The doctors do say how grateful they are to the PoM donors are and how they have been helped enormously with our support.
At the “escolinha” on Ilha de Mozambique, two students from the Unilurio in Nampula Medical School have examined the children on weight, height, biomass, etc. and the stored the data with the intention to do the same test over four months and compare the data. There are two groups of children, one group will have lunch at the escolinha and the other half at home. Until now, the children brought their food from home, but the Pearl of Mozambique will provide a varied daily meal at school, which will be fortified with moringa nutrients. Additionally there will be a session organised for parents, to instruct them to provide a healthier and more nutritious lunch for the same amount of money. For children, we will organize an afternoon where a garden will be constructed, with seeds and small moringa-trees to follow the growth of a Moringa. At a later stage we want together with Mosagri Lda (www.mosagri.com) donate moringapowder to more schools and hospitals in the area.
Additionally, we also provided a scholarship to a local Law student for three years. The boy, Almiro Estafão, finished his first year and now needs three more years to complete his studies. The costs are very high and are now being financed by his father (2/5) by himself (1/5) and his brother and sisters. As the family won’t be able to continue to pay this in the future, the PoM has decided to pay one fifth of the study and a close friend of the foundation also has pledged to three years to pay part 1/5. We will pay 2/5 part with effect from January 2016 directly to the university and will be kept informed by Almiro about the results. He also promised to follow additional English lessons.
The Bicycle Plan
Another new project is the bicycle plan. We noticed that there is great need for transportation as people often have to walk kilometres to get to work, which costs them a lot of time and energy. The idea arose to make loans to buy bicycles. However, in Mozambique there are currently not a lot of good kinds of bikes for sale, as most are Chinese-made and not really suitable for the dirt roads there. To import bicycles from Europe is proportionately far too expensive, especially shipping, according to research by a friend of the foundation. 
We made a list where people can register for a loan for a bicycle, and soon was the list of 60 people. After some searching we found a supplier of bicycles from India. To try out the bikes we bought one bike and agreed with the other people that we are going to try this bike two months. Should it meet all the requirements, then we move on to the loans to the people on the list. The first bike was donated by a friend of the foundation, Dhr.Jaensch from Middelburg, for which many thanks. It is intended that the amount of the bike is repaid in 10 months, or sometimes via built postures on the salary. 
THE HUNGER PROJECT
In November this year, we’ve had a three day visit in Lumbo by the Director of The Hunger Project Mozambique, Mass. Clara de Oliveira. Through her experiences with, for example, setting up epic centers in Africa, they can give us a lot of good tips and advice. The Hunger Project is also working on a campaign about moringa and how this miracle tree can contribute to solving malnutrition and hunger in the world.
We are currently investigating how we can enter into a partnership with The Hunger Project, see https://thehungerproject.nl/
CASA MAE ESPERA
A less positive story is the progress of the Casa Mae Espera. Due to personal circumstances, the constructions of this home for pregnant women does not go as smoothly as we had hoped. The brick walls are all done, the window and door frames are finished and one is currently working on the roof. We make every effort to include this project to be completed as soon as possible.
Happy Holidays and a verry happy New Year
As you may have read, we obviously continue all the ongoing projects in the new year, but will also start with many new initiatives. We hope we can count on your support again this year. Especially for newly built kindergarten, library and community center, for furnishings and kitchen appliances, but also for drugs, the bicycle and people who need our help, we can really use your continuous support.
Through our own initiatives, such as the booklet “Ilha de Mozambique and surroundings (although still order), school campaigns, presentations, individual actions and of course our loyal annual donors, we can realize all these wonderful things. But having a stabile income flow is very important to our foundation and we hope you would consider being a regular donor in the near year. We do not want to ask to issue giro form or permissions, it only costs money and it feels better when it comes entirely voluntary and one can determine personally what he or she can spare. All of our donations will go directly to the above mentioned projects.
To become a regular donor is very simple, by setting up a weekly/monthly/annual payment through your bank to the Pearl of Mozambique, Iban: NL86RABO0149993099 Bic: RABONL2U
If you prefer a particular project, please indicate that by mentioning this in your reference.
