Meninos de Mozambique

Our Partner, Meninos de Mozambique (MDM), is based in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. MDM widened its scope of activities in response to the needs expressed by children living in street situations in 1999. To face these needs MDM provides health and psychological assistance to the children. The drop in centre, based in the centre of Maputo, is open all day every day and children are invited to drop in to wash, or take part in the educational activities that the workers offer. A medical centre is contained within the drop in centre and offers practical medical advice to the children as and when they need it. They have also set up a brilliant working relationship with the near by clinic and hospital, who take on referrals from the centre. In 2008, an average of 2 children used the medical centre every day. Although most of the children live in unhygienic places, small improvements can be made to minimise the risk of contracting serious diseases, and to this end, MDM give regular talks to the children about how to avoid contracted diseases such as malaria and STI/STDs.

In the longer term, MDM's main aim is to return these children back to their homes and ensure that they are able to stay in school. MDM provides school fees for the children who have been successfully reintegrated, and workers try and visit these children at least once a month to ensure that they are happy and are not thinking about running back to the streets. MDM are also hoping to build a creche in the Luis Cabral bioro of the city, to cater for the children of young mothers living in the surrounding area who have to go to the streets to work. We are hoping this facility will be built during 2010, but we are still waiting for the final approval from the Mozambican authorities.