Tuesday, January 19, 2016

ALG Quiz Night #4

Are you prepared to put your knowledge into action for a good cause?

On the 21st January at 7pm (for a 7.30pm start) join us at the Italian restaurant Rosso Pomodoro Chelsea for a Quiz Night to help us build a new Canteen in the SLM school in Mozambique.


Your participation in this event will finance the ongoing construction of a new Canteen for 800 children in the SLM school. Each ticket costs £30 per person and includes:

  • £15 for a 3-course Italian dinner

  • £15 for a contribution to our new Canteen in the SLM school 


Register now to be part of one of our Quiz Teams or challenge 5 friends and create your own team


Join us on the January 21st at 7pm (for a 7.30pm start) for a night of great fun where your "Little Gesture" will go a long way!
If you can't be present you can make a donation here!

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

ALG Schools Support Classes 2015

Another school year has ended and the S. Vicente de Paulo and Santa Luísa de Marillac Schools are assessing the results of the ALG Projects. ALG sponsors After Schools Support Classes in these two schools which help to improve the UPG sponsored children’s school results. During these classes children develop their skills in reading, writing, maths, dictation and educational culture (citizenship).



At SLM the sponsored children Celina Mucavele and Mario Manjate have improved their grades with the help of After School Support. Like them, among the 107 sponsored children who attend the After School Support at SLM, 90 also improved their behaviour and attendance.
At SVP, Ortência Nbiza and Carlos Maluleque are among the best students and they also help their struggling colleagues. From the 150 sponsored children attending the After School Support at SVP, 135 have revealed an improvement in their grades and behaviour.

 ALG is so proud of these children and acknowledges the importance of this strengthening mechanism for the children. Education is the main tool to break the poverty cycle and with only 7£ we finance one year of After Class Support for a child at SLM and SVP.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

ALG After Class Courses 2015

In the welcoming school of SLM - Santa Luisa Marillac, in Chokwé, a total of 120 of the poorest children are supported by our Sponsorship programme. Of these, 107 children also receive After Class support, a tutoring programme financed by our Charity.


This educational project is run in a classroom on school grounds after the academic class schedule and has very encouraging results. An average of c.16 students a day attend the after class support classes under the supervision of mano Cristovão, a young and dedicated ALG Technician working in SLM.
Usually the activities developed in the after class study support room include reading, writing, counting, manners (how to behave at home, around others and other children, etc.) and dictation.

Cristóvão has the difficult task of making children follow the schedule while also being called to other activities – ether the ALG Technical Courses in the school or simply enjoying the playground. Sister Sidónia is responsible for Technical Courses at the school, a skills-based programme offered to children in SLM to provide them technical training beyond academic education.

It is a full schedule in SLM and the children enjoy it immensely!

On the After Classes courses, the two top students this year were:

1 - Celina Mucavele, born on the 28th of November 2005, in Manjangue, Chokwè district, Gaza province. She attends the 3rd grade in SLM. Celina used to miss a few classes and her results were not great, but after a while and with Cristóvão’s help, her commitment in the classroom and results improved significantly. Her results from the 1st to the 3rd Quarter: Portuguese: 18, 18, 15, Maths: 16, 14 15, Music: 15 13 13, P.E.: 13, 14 15, Natural Science: 14, 13 13, Visual Education: 13, 13, 14, Crafts: 13, 14, 14, Average grades: 13, 16, 14. With a very good behaviour she only missed classes six times this year!

2 - Mauro Manjate (no date of birth on school registrar). We know he was born in Manjangue, Chokwé district, Gaza province. He attends the 4th grade in SLM. According to Cristóvão, Mauro also used to miss some the after class support classes to play around, with Cristóvão checking up home to find out what was happening. After a while he’s been attending the after class support classes and has remarkable grades. From the 1stto the 3rd Quarters: Portuguese: 13, 14, 12, Maths: 12, 12, 13, Music: 14, 15, 15, P.E.: 12, 14, 14, Social Sciences: 13, 11, 13, Natural Sciences: 11, 13, 13, Visual Education: 14, 16, 13, Crafts: 12, 15, 13, Average Grades: 13, 14, 13. He’s been very well behaved and only missed classes five times.

According to a second survey carried out by our Local Technicians Orcídio and Cristóvão on the 107 students attending the support room:

· 90 students improved their behaviour,

· 17 maintained or even reduced their grades. 

There are a few students who skip some classes due to several reasons (the majority as they are required by the families to attend to their domestic chores in the pastures, to go fishing or because is very high they have to look after elder relatives (Alfa and Flora). Others sometimes just play around but we must also consider these are highly vulnerable children where school drop-out risk is severe and children benefit from a happy and nourishing environment at school.

The positive conclusion is that children are indeed learning. It is important to find mechanisms to avoid children skipping or even dropping out of school in these rural impoverished settings. We are hoping the ALG After Class support accomplishes just that!