Mozambique
Projects in Mozambique
Education
Education Volunteers teach more than 10,000 high-school students throughout the country every year. Working alongside their Mozambican teachers, Volunteers teach English, Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. And they challenge their students to think critically and creatively, in order to foster a student-centered learning environment. After class, Volunteers and their counterparts carry out extra-curricular activities with youth, including Youth Clubs, Community Libraries, English Theater, and Science Clubs and Fairs. They regularly facilitate trainings and discussions on topics such as leadership, volunteerism, girls’ empowerment, healthy relationships, gender-based violence, and HIV and malaria prevention and treatment.
Under the guidance from the Ministry of Education and Human Development, our Education Project has been working since 1999 to ensure students benefit from an improved culture of learning and community service. Volunteers work within their schools and communities to fulfill the project’s three goals: (1) Working with Mozambican teachers who provide effective and creative instruction to enhance student achievement; (2) Making sure students in secondary schools increase their achievement and application of English, Science and Math, and participate in additional educational opportunities; and (3) Ensuring that students in primary schools (grades 1-3) and community members increase their reading skills in Portuguese and improve their educational achievement.
Health
Community Health Volunteers work with their counterparts to support the Ministry of Health’s strategy to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic, reduce the high mortality rates from Malaria, and improve the quality of health services in their communities. Peace Corps places Volunteers at government-run health centers throughout the country, often times assisting local and international non-government organizations. Volunteers also work with secondary schools, linking students to youth-friendly services at health centers, and improving the quality of those services to reach more youth.
Our Health Project supports the Government of Mozambique’s National Strategic Plan. Through our partnership and coordination with Mozambique’s Ministry of Health, the National AIDS Council, various international Non-Governmental Organizations and Community-Based Organizations, the Health Project and the work of our Community Health Volunteers focuses on advancing Youth Health and Capacity Building through three goals: 1) Increasing the knowledge and skills of youth to improve their health and well-being through health and life skills education and linkages to youth-friendly services; 2) Increasing the knowledge and skills of orphans and vulnerable children and their families, to improve their well-being and resilience; 3) Strengthening the community environment to improve youth health and well-being.
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Peace Corps Mozambique has been partnering with PEFPAR in Mozambique since 2004. In addition to trainings and project development support, both Health and Education Volunteers work with communities, particularly youth, to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and lead healthy lives. Over the years Volunteers have developed a national network of girls and youth groups, and on a weekly basis meet with their groups to facilitate evidence-based training modules. The curricula used in the regular meetings strive to build self-esteem, develop leadership skills, teach about sexual and reproductive health, share information on health services, create a safe space for youth to discuss challenging topics, and promote healthier attitudes and actions.
President's Malaria Initiative
As a member of the Stomp out Malaria in Africa Initiative, Peace Corps Mozambique has been actively fostering innovative ideas and creating partnerships in the fight against malaria. With the support of the President’s Malaria Initiative, Volunteers are engaged in national malaria initiatives to improve the lives of their communities. Peace Corps has also developed partnerships with Novartis AG, Grassroot Soccer, and with Vodacom to provide training and resources for the Volunteers to carry out impactful work in their communities.