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Mozambique: Cyclones-hit primary schools have new bathrooms
31-03-2025
The Humanitarian Action Project in Maputo Province, Mozambique, funded by Humana and implemented by our local partner ADPP, has carried out significant initiatives in recent months. It delivered sanitary blocks to various schools affected by cyclones and organized a platform for sharing experiences in the event of a disaster.
Last February, the Humanitarian Action Project delivered sanitary blocks to the primary schools of Bunhiça, Nkobe, and Tsalala, in the municipality of Matola. These blocks were rehabilitated to strengthen safety and hygiene conditions and ensure a safe return to school for the school community.
During the ceremony, the principal of Bunhiça Elementary School, Carlota Manjate, emphasized the importance of infrastructure maintenance as a shared responsibility between the community, teachers, and students. He also emphasized the needs of the school, which currently has 2,285 students in 35 classes and 50 teachers, and faces challenges such as a lack of adequate desks, windows, and doors.
ADPP representative Isaías Wate reinforced the organization's commitment to early childhood education, emphasizing that investing in children means believing in a better future for Mozambique.
He expressed his gratitude to the Spanish partners who provided funding for this initiative and, at the same time, called for the proper use of the infrastructure. "In addition to rehabilitating the sanitary blocks, we have provided food and hygiene items to more than 590 families, and supported 11 schools with teaching kits for 100 teachers and school supplies for 3,250 students," he said.
Carles Tomás, Humana's Humanitarian Action Coordinator, was in Mozambique and explained: "I visited schools that were affected by the recent natural disasters in the country. As a result of our support, the Bunhiça Primary School now has new bathrooms, following the renovation of the old ones, which were severely damaged by Cyclone Filipo."
Exchange of experiences
On the other hand, the Humanitarian Action Project organized a few weeks earlier a platform for the exchange of experiences among Local Disaster Risk Management Committees. For four days, the event brought together members of the committees created and trained by the project in collaboration with the National Institute for Risk and Disaster Management (INGD).
The main objective was to strengthen mutual support and ensure greater effectiveness in flood prevention and response in the communities.
Among the common challenges addressed by the participants were those related to the opening, cleaning, and maintenance of stormwater drainage ditches, hygiene, and sanitation. At the same time, the committees shared their work plans, achievements, difficulties encountered, and the need for funding to purchase work materials such as wheelbarrows, saws, helmets, lawnmowers, gloves, and more.
The exchange of experiences provided each committee with an opportunity to self-assess, allowing them to restructure their work plans and lay the groundwork for ongoing interaction. Concrete examples provided by the more experienced committees served as inspiration and guidance for the newcomers.
According to Sebastião Mangue, project coordinator, the initiative is an essential step toward integrating and strengthening the committees. "Since their creation, we have worked individually with each one. However, we felt the need to bring them together by creating a platform where they can exchange experiences. With this, we hope that the more experienced committees will encourage the new ones to face challenges and persevere," he emphasized.
During the event, the Nkobe Neighborhood Committee, the oldest, shared its journey from its creation to the present. "At first, we had nothing, not even uniforms to identify us during the mobilizations." We had to raise funds to buy orange T-shirts, which are now our hallmark.
Committee coordinator Olga Caratane emphasized: The Sikwama Neighborhood Committee, which continues to grow, presented some of its achievements: “We managed to clean the neighborhood's drainage ditches, created a database to identify the homes most vulnerable to flooding, and mapped safe areas for shelter in case of extreme disasters.”
