May 2012 Report

 Mussa Domingos Gala is 11 years old. He grew up living in an orphanage without a mother and a father.  Life in his orphanage was hard.  The facilities were in very poor shape.  While they had plenty of ringworm, lice and puddles breeding mosquitoes, they had very few caregivers and little nutritious food, and clothing.  When the orphanage was closed in 2009, Mussa was one of the children without any living relatives.  Acenda was able to help him find a wonderful foster family to live with. 

Ana Maria (second from the right wearing a green shirt) is a wonderful foster mother.  She is very energetic and happy.  She has a supportive husband and they are the parents of seven children including Mussa. When she is not busy taking care of her large family, she is serving the children at her local church as the Primary President!  Mussa was very challenging when he joined the family over two years ago.  It was not uncommon for him to run away from home but Ana Maria was patient and helped him understand the blessing of having a family and the responsibility that comes with being part of the Acenda Program. 

Today, Mussa has a great relationship with his new family.  He attends school every day and he is progressing in his academic studies.  His favorite subject is math and he looks forward to opportunities in higher education in this area of study.  His grades are good.  He loves to play and pray. 

October 2011 Report

There are 1.6 million orphaned children in Mozambique.  In the past, orphaned children were cared for by extended families.  However, the epidemic has placed too great a stress on this traditional safety net.  A recent government study revealed that only 12.5% of the households with orphaned children received any assistance; half of the families were female-lead; and school attendance among orphaned children was much lower.

Acenda sponsors are greatly helping those who cannot help themselves.  You are giving orphaned children hope for a better life now and in the future.  As always, we express our gratitude to each of you for the sacrifices that you make to help us keep this important program viable.

 Isabel Jonase Olante is a beautiful Mozambican woman who lost her husband to HIV/AIDS.  She now cares for not only her own children, but the children of her deceased sister.  When she was approached by our Project Coordinator, Iris Domingos, to care for Luizinah, she immediately said yes.  Luizinah's mother was Isabel's best friend. 

Isabel Jonase Olante, Acenda Foster Mother  

  Typical of most Mozambican households, there are 10 people living in a very small home.  She creates the kind of environment where her grown children come for frequent visits--it is a gathering place.  Her home, though simple, is well maintained and surrounded by vegetable gardens.

Isabel, her son, her daughter, and Luzinha

May 2011 Report

We are happy to report that the twenty-one foster children in Acenda are thriving with their families.  Our most recent report from Iris Domingos, our project coordinator, had many wonderful updates.  Suzanna,  who is hearing impaired, is finding joy in communicating as she learns sign language.  Melita, 14 years old, is doing much better in school this year.  Batista, a 10 year old boy with special needs, has received some new treatments. Several of our children have transferred schools and are achieving better grades. 

Baptista, 2011

 One of our foster care mothers, Clara Amelia Matsinhe, currently works for Mozambique's Social Action  (similar to USA's Child Protective Services).  She is an experienced social worker with her specialty being children. Clara Amelia has shared with us the reality of having Zinha, 14 years old, join her family.  She said, "In the beginning it was very hard  teaching Zinha the rules and expectations in our home.  Everyone would become easily frustrated."  She talked about the need to have a great deal of patience and persistence.  In time, they have succeeded in creating a peaceful and loving family. 

Zinha, Clara Amelia, Clara's daughter

 Zinha is in the 7th grade this year and is a bright student.  When she is not studying or helping around the house, her mom said she can always be found on the soccer field.