Did you know that 11 million children die each year before the age of five - that is about 30,000 every day - because they have not received the care they deserve as a right. This dreadful reality must change.
ChildFund Ireland and ChildFund Mozambique began working together in 2007 and have together planned an exciting new programme which aims to expand sustainable community safety nets for vulnerable families that promote child protection and development while addressing the root causes of poverty in Zavala District, Inhambane Province. The project, which began on 1st January 2008, builds on ChildFund’s successful child focused, family centred community development strategy that is designed to meet the immediate needs of vulnerable children and families while creating a supportive environment and building community capacity to sustain services over time. In collaboration with local and national government and community leadership, the project is working to expand the capacity of local partners to develop and scale up comprehensive care and support services addressing material, social, and emotional needs. Recognising the substantial impact of AIDS in the area, health promotion and disease prevention activities are complemented by efforts to mitigate the long term effects of the epidemic on families. Key project activities include: strengthening community child protection systems; improving psychosocial support for children and adults affected by AIDS; health promotion and disease prevention; nutritional support through sustainable food security; enhancing access to education; and economic strengthening for vulnerable families and youth. In June 2009, activities were extended to Gondola district in Manica province. The district is centred on the Beira Corridor, a transport and communications network which links the port city of Beira to Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and other countries in the hinterland. The district has an estimated 16% HIV prevalence. About 14% of children are orphans and an estimated 2,700 children in the district live in child-headed households. These rates are amongst the highest in Mozambique and serve as a powerful indicator of the impact of HIV. Despite the heavy concentration of the population along the Beira Corridor, even these centrally located communities are underserved with health and education services.
