25th: In 2015 with YOUR help we raised over ONE MILLION of Little Gestures. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This year  ALG raised around £122k with UPG Portugal to apply directly in local intervention Projects in Xai-Xai, Chokwé and Chongoene. These programmes support the work done by our sister charity over 11 years in the Sponsoring area, with over £80k raised in 2015. Your support represented over £560k for Sponsoring and over £280k for the Projects area funds applied on the ground since 2004 - at £850k and growing, almost one MILLION little gestures of help bringing joy to Mozambique!

Since January your donations focused mainly on the two new projects – School Meals in SLM (29%) and HIV Day Care Centre (18%), followed by a favourite for the ALG friends for several years – Pre-Schools (14%).

Together we have helped 2390 beneficiaries in 2015, mainly underprivileged children, many of them orphans and vulnerable. We continue to grow mainly through volunteer work and minimum administrative costs. We rely on the word of mouth and fund raising campaigns between ALG Friends and Partner Companies to limit headquarters’ expenditures. We try to invest around 90c per pound donated on the ground, a strict and ambitious policy intended to apply most of donations on the ground with children.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to everyone who allows us to fulfil ALG’s dream to improve the lives of children, families, youngsters and elders in Mozambique. Every Little Gesture Helps!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALG FAMILY!!!

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

24th: This Christmas join the ALG family!

On this special day we prose you a challenge for a different present. The challenge of sponsoring an ALG project… Will you take it? There are many projects to sponsor such as a university student.

The ALG Uni Scholarships offer dedicated but poor students with proven merit the opportunity to attend university. Young boys and girls from impovershed rural communities in Mozambique have huge potential to give back to the local community in the future. Between £900 and £1’300 per year, depending on the degree and location, allows ALG to finance tuition fees, documentation and enrolment costs, with occasional support to living conditions such as accommodation and meals. In 2015 ALG supports 11 committed students to follow their dreams in Dentistry, Law, Business Administration, Physics, Teaching and Accounting, among others. Your sponsorship of an ALG Uni Scholarship makes dreams come true and changes lives forever.

You can be a Great Help for the life of a Mozambican child!. Accept our challenge on this Christmas eve and join the ALG family!

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

23rd: Flying to visit our Little Heroes

Our Charity benefits from the TAP Donate Miles initiative that flies staff from headquarters at our sister-charity in Lisbon to Mozambique. Air miles generously donated by TAP clients allow us to travel to our local projects in Mozambique at a much reduced price.  These regular visits to our Local Partners improve our control of expenditures and of the evolution of new and ongoing projects.

TAP air miles flew Joana P. (Projects) in April and Marta J. (Fundraising) in October to Mozambique, always accompanied by “Mamã” Anabela Nina, Head of UPG Sponsoring Department and for many the “voice” of our presence on the ground.

It was during that April trip that our team “found” little heroes on their way to Maputo. Today, as we get closer to the festive days ahead, join us to share a moment of reflexion on these heroes...

“Today we tell a different story. We returned to Maputo for a few more meetings. In Xai-Xai, we had thunder and rain all night long, with the typical intensity of a tropical storm. In the comfort of our beds we cannot stop thinking about our children when we are so well aware of the quality of their huts.

Along the road, way before 7 a.m., children of all ages walk, alone or in groups, under heavy rain, with no umbrella or protection. The few who have a backpack still manage to protect their note pads and books. The clothes (inadequate) will eventually dry out, on their bodies, at school throughout the day...

Little heroes, who with an empty stomach, and under heavy rain or heat do not stop walking long distances, on a daily basis, in search for a better future.

They are used to these circumstances, but for us it is heart-breaking to realise the difficulties they face at such a young age.

We cannot change the world, but every Little Gesture counts and is a Great Help!”

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

22nd: It is never too late to learn to read

Despite her advanced age, Grandma Belinha is stronger than the difficulties she faces, and 3 days a week she attends the first year of the Literacy course in Banhine. Although struggling with the Portuguese language, she’s one of the 3 top students at Maths!

 

The ALG Literacy courses aim to help women like Grandma Belinha and many other moms, who had to quit studying to raise children or provide care for ill family members. Our goal is to teach them how to read and write so they can help their children studying. Learning to write their names, to read in Portuguese or to learn how to add and subtract numbers, enable these women to stimulate their children’s and grandchildren’s education and also helps them to improve their family business for which they are the main driving force.

For ALG literacy goes well beyond learning to read and to write, it provides personal dignity to working underprivileged women. It is a rural developing factor essential for the communities of the families we support.

For only c. £20 per beneficiary ALG pays for the basic education of young adults allowing them to increase their employability and self-esteem with direct impact on their children’s education.

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

21st: Thank you ALG Volunteers!

This year it was the turn of Cristiana and Patrícia to departure towards an unknown reality. They flew together to Mozambique where they got acquainted with new aromas, new flavours, a new culture and new people who with so little manage to give so much. They did a remarkable work in SLM and SVP teaching IT skills and administrative activities. They also provided assistance to the Day Care Centre technical courses and After school support.

Every year for ALG it is only possible to keep on going and growing with the tireless contribution of more than 30 volunteers who help us with our daily solidary activities. Communication with sponsors, receipts, students’ results, thank you notes and photo albums, translations, legal support, graphic materials, website and social media, events and logistics management, promotion, support… and so much love – the list is endless!

THANK YOU ALG VOLUNTEERS, AT HEADQUARTERS AND IN MOZAMBIQUE.

It is your daily work that allow us to bring a GREAT HELP to more than 2415 beneficiaries, including the almost 850 UPG Portugal sponsored children in 2015.

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

20th: Together we gave Marcelino a new home!

Marcelino’s new hut, a 14 years old orphan boy from the Chongoene Mission, was sponsored in 2015 by Virgínia C. This dynamic ALG friend dedicated her birthday to raise funds between her friends to build proper housing for Marcelino.

Marcelino’s life became even more complicated after his parents’ death. With no birth certificate or records he was taken to Maputo. When he returned in 2014 his house was in ruins and he was welcomed by a neighbour who despite also living in underprivileged conditions was not indifferent to Marcelino’s problem. 

Due to the lack of identification documents, last year we could not enrol Marcelino in school. ALG is hoping to solve this situation next year to fulfil Marcelino’s dream – to go back to school as he told our Local Technician and Partner.

This hut gave Marcelino more than a roof over his head. With the support received to rehabilitate his home the right to Food and Housing, as per the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child, is fulfilled. A dignified place to shelter children promotes their psycho-social development, and feelings of protection, comfort and security. 

Thank you Virgínia and to everyone who contributed!

This is ALG’s mission. Help us to grow.

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

19th: Belide, a role model in the SLM Day Care Centre

Belide Borge is a 14 years old orphan infected by HIV/AIDS. When he was admitted at the centre he had asthma and wounds on his head. Always on time at the HIV Day Care Centre, he plays a lot and he’s finally healthy eating his meals with appetite. Belide is also very bright, he’s in the 5th grade during the morning period in SLM. He has a remarkable attendance record and a stellar school behaviour. His grades are 16 and 17 at Maths and Sciences. We are so proud of Belide, he’s the best student at the Centre!

The HIV Day Care Centre is another ambitious project in SLM in which ALG embarked on by the end of 2013. It provides a complete bespoke programme to HIV/AIDS infected children in an area with a high incidence of the illness. For £23.659 annually or £61/month per child in 2015, this programme guarantees proper nutrition, medication control and constant medical assistance for 32 children, with future capacity for 50 children. With this centre ALG wishes to relieve local poverty and to provide a dignified and healthier childhood to seriously ill children.

The children at the centre are still infected by the virus but they are stronger, cherished, fit to study and very, very playful! Bring this project forward to the social responsibility area of your company or spread the word among friends. Please contact us for more details!

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

18th: In SLM the children no longer eat on the floor!

This year ALG managed to advance one more step and fulfil the dream of a whole school community, specially our lovely Sister Lidia’s, through the construction of a School Canteen in the facilities of Santa Luísa de Marillac School.

Daily at the SLM School, c. 800 children have a meal on the ground, under a tree and vulnerable to dust and wind. On rainy days, it requires lot of logistics because every child has to eat inside the classrooms or under the roof, sitting on the ground.

The construction work began by the end of June and the new Canteen is shaping up. Our children will have dignified and healthy conditions to eat their meals. They no longer have to eat on the floor and will develop hygiene and sociability habits. 

Support SLM School Meals ALG’s most ambitious individual project in Mozambique – bring a daily great help to more than 800 children! Please contact us for more details.

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

17th: Arnaldo brings new technologies to Chongoene

The new Chongoene IT Centre, an entrepreneurial project conceived by our Technician Arnaldo, has been operating since the beginning of the year. This project was financed by ALG through a donation from one of our Partner Companies – Randstad. They promoted an ALG Happy Day during Christmas, last year, for promotion and fund raising. The Centre provides youngsters access to IT technical training, increasing their qualifications and employability. The IT Centre also operates as a consumables and IT services store, creating a hub of local micro commerce. It also promotes technical training for youngsters, providing them opportunities for future jobs with IT requirements or self-employment initiatives.

Arnaldo’s dream came true to benefit the community...

“I grew up in a very poor family, during my studies and in my first job I assessed my skills and decided I would like to have an IT Centre, but there was no possibility to do it on my own. After a few years ALG gave life to this dream of mine and I managed to open the Centre by the end of 2014. 

This year I took over the position of IT Centre Director, and assessing the surrounding community I realised it lacked services of this nature, and the only thing missing was… someone like me. I am very proud of being part of the community and of my country’s development. 

Up to today this centre already trained 26 adults, from a total of 32 enrolled students, including the ones currently in a course. 14 already have certificate, and some of them are already waiting to be hired. Besides the trained students, the Centre is also supporting 3 youngsters (on a monthly basis), not only financially but also training them and providing them professional experience, which will contribute to reduce the number of unemployed people registered in Mozambique. 

This centre is also an entrepreneurial experience for me. Considering my past years, and everything I have overcome, this year was the best one ever, the most successful one. It was not easy, it is never easy to make a dream like this come true, without help from your family, but with some faith we are more likely to succeed. I think that the work achieved since the opening of the Centre is very positive. During the current year, and within the context of the financial crisis, every student contributed for the improvement of this sector. It was not the expected number of enrolments but we are in the initial stage of evaluation. Next year I hope we have more training for youngsters and more productivity. My main goal is to provide youngsters IT knowledge, from a user’s perspective, in order to allow them to thrive in the labour market. 

For me 2015 is a year to remember and it will savour it for the rest of my life, for the huge effort of managing to fulfil the dream I’ve been dreaming for years.

Kanimambo! Mano Arnaldo“

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

16th: Lidia spreads smiles in SLM

Lidia Francisco is 13 years old and 7 brothers. Her mother is a farmer and her father is disabled and she’s cherished at the SLM school where she radiates joy! Lidia is very intelligent, she’s on the 7th grade and her favourite subjects are Maths, Portuguese and English.

During the dramatic floods of 2013 Lidia missed school for several days. Currently there are still many days where there is no food at the house. Now Lidia never misses school because besides learning she will receive a warm meal with the School Meals at SLM.

Loving and generous with her friends Lidia always asks ALG to continue the School Meals Programme, because several children like her are hungry at home and having some food at school is wonderful!

This year we are extremely proud of Lidia’s grades: Portuguese (13), Maths (14), Music (15), PE (13), Social Sciences (12), English (14), Moral and Civic Education (13), Visual Arts (13), Crafts (14) and Natural Sciences (14). Her annual average of 14 is so high that at a state school she wouldn’t have to do any more exams!

With this ALG’s hugely ambitious programme 800 children, between 7-18 years of age, receive a daily nutritious free lunch in the school patio. For c. £27’727 per year it is ALG’s greatest project launched after the 2013 floods – with only £3 we can feed a chid for a whole month. Free meals increase school attendance rates, children’s results and the joy of underprivileged children. The girls no longer have to stay at home to cook. Happy the 800 little ones wait anxiously in line to empty the giant pots of food. Lunch is a true success in SLM!

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

15th: We are looking for ALG Partner Schools!

On the 26th of June, the school community of St Nicholas Prep School in London held their annual International Day and invited ALG to be present. And what a fantastic celebration! The school had already received us for two lovely Assemblies the previous week. And now a mix of bar receipts and donations on behalf of ALG gathered £522 to fund our pre-schools in Mozambique.

We cannot wait to keep you posted on the progress of our projects - and we hope St Nicholas Prep School continues to join our efforts to break child poverty in Mozambique!

ALG Partner Schools like St. Nicholas Prep School help us to grow with fund raising and by spreading the word about our work. Do you want to bring ALG to your school? Increase the social awareness of your students and promote solidarity and team spirit. Contact us for more information!

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

14th: A journey to the world of books in the SLM Library

As soon as they arrived at the SLM school in the beginning of 2015, local volunteers Cris e Patrícia were impressed with the amount and quality of books available in the SLM Library! They were so many and so well organised that we immediately accepted the challenge of reorganizing the room to make it more appealing, and easy to use by students and teachers.

After the work done in the library we can now find specific sections adequately identified: textbooks, literacy manuals, themed books, Portuguese and English fiction (in Portuguese and English), magazines, children’s books, games, jigsaws and even an encyclopaedia!

It is in this spacious and naturally lit room that the after-school support classes take place directed at the UPG Portugal sponsored children.

Promoting reading habits is crucial for children and youngsters’ education. With this new look and organization the teachers will be able to incentivise students to visit the room and to be carried away to the world of books!

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

13th: The 8 excited children of Flowers’ Scholarships!

The Flowers’ Scholarships were delivered on the 5th of March 2015 with tons of joy and enthusiasm at EFI (Escolinha Flor da Infância). These merit scholarships have been promoting the best 4 students, of the 4 and 5 year old classes, since 2011. These awarded students excelled in their school results and performance throughout the year at EFI. For ALG and Ribacapital, the scholarship sponsor, this is an extremely joyful and proud moment.

Ezequiel Sérgio Mathe, Inês Hélio Sambo, Maira da Helena Domingos Sego, Yumina Sergio Mangwengwe, Anita Jorge, Aurelino Maldonado Langa Zitta, Alda Simão Chilengue, and Zeide Mansur Daude were the happy winners this year.

For the 4 year old students this Scholarship is composed by a single award (£35) converted in a Basic Basket and School Supplies. For the 5 year old students there is a multiannual scholarship (£355, with an annual allocation of £70) until the conclusion of their primary education, including not only a Basic Basket but also the opening of a savings account, jointly with the child’s parent or guardian, accessible only when the child reaches 18 years of age.

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

12th: School Feeding – A huge success in SLM!

SLM School Feeding Programme, one of ALG’s most ambitious programme, ALG embarked in after the tragic floods of 2013, continues to grow. This Project not only improves school attendance rates, through the free meals incentive, but also improves school results reducing hunger during classes. It also promotes gender equality since girls no longer have to stay home to cook for their brothers. Meals are served at the SLM school where UPG Portugal already sponsors 120 extremely underprivileged children under the supervision of Sister Flora.

Every day, for £27’727 per year, or £3 per child per month, 800 children, between 7 and 18 years old, receive a free and nutritious lunch in the school patio. Free meals increase school attendance, school results and the joy of previously undernourished children at home. Happy the 800 children reduce huge pots of food to nothing. Lunch is a true success in SLM!

School meals in SLM relieves local poverty in Manjangue and promotes an educated childhood for extremely underprivileged children.

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

11th: Rosita grows and plays happily in the ALG Pre-Schools

“Hello I'm Rosita, I'm 5 years old and I attend Escolinha de Sta. Catarina. I'm always having fun with my friends. 

I really enjoy being in school because I learn a lot, and I've even learnt how to count. Whenever the teacher calls someone to the board I'm always the first one to go, and I also love to sing and listen to stories.“ 

Did you know that with only £89 a year you take a child like Rosita out of the streets and protect her by providing access to classes and adult supervision in the ALG pre-schools?

ALG Pre-Schools provide unprivileged children, between 3 and 5 years of age, access to pre-school education, in a safe didactic environment. The ALG pre-schools give vulnerable children, without resources to attend a kindergarten, daily access to classes where they are busy developing skills, study habits and reducing marginality in pre-school age.

For £73 per child at EFI Escolinha Flor da Infância (Vila Marien Ngouambi in Xai-Xai) and  £104 per child at ESC Escolinha de Santa Catarina (Chongoene Mission), ALG finances 2 daily meals, school materials, uniforms, and the support of teachers and expert monitors, under the local supervision of Grandma Etelvina (EFI) and Sister Hortênsia (ESC).

ALG pre-schools relief poverty and promote an educated childhood for very young and underprivileged children.

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

10th: We have a new Uni Sponsored girl – Isaurinha!

Carla Monine, lovingly treated as Isaurinha, is 19 years old and was one of the first UPG Portugal Sponsored children in Xai-Xai. Ambitious and joyful she is the youngest ALG University Scholarship Holder. She’s attending the 1^st year of the Food Engineering Processing Degree at the Gaza Polytechnic Superior Institute, in Chokwé. Because she is away from home ALG made an effort to secure adequate accommodation, and Carla is currently in the young girls boarding facility in Chokwé, ran by the Vincentian Sisters. Besides the scholarship, Carla helps Sister Aida, the Local ALG Partner in SVP, with After School Support activities for the UPG Sponsored children at the SVP School.

“Studying is my favourite thing and being a year out of school was really hard. I thought it might be the time to quit but I decided to believe in myself, and I’m still here today willing to do my best throughout my superior education. Being poor is not a choice but to fight poverty is, so I chose to study to eradicate my poverty conditions and have a better life. I was only 7 years old when I met ALG UK and UPG Portugal and I learned so much with them and with the Dominican Sisters, especial with Sister Isabel who has always been very demanding mainly studies wise.

My studies have always been looked after by ALG UK and UPG Portugal, even when I failed in 9th grade they never stopped supporting me in every step of the way. My heartfelt Khanimabo to ALG UK, UPG Portugal and to the Xai-Xai Dominican Sisters. I will be in Chokwé employing all my best efforts to succeed”.

ALG University Scholarships provide young dedicated but deprived students like Isaurinha the opportunity to complete their university studies. ALG University Scholarship Holders are preferably students who previously benefited from the UPG Sponsoring Programme or community youngsters engaged with ALG as technicians, teachers or volunteers, with proven merit and will to study. These youngsters come from Chongoene, Chokwé or Xai-Xai, where they tend to return to after concluding their studies, with strengthened capacities and higher education to benefit the local community.

With £754 and £1’070 per year, depending on the degree and location, ALG University Scholarship finances the living costs for the students securing mainly university tuitions and enrolment fees, with occasional support to other expenditures such has accommodation and meals. In 2015 ALG supported 11 dedicated and committed students to follow their dreams in the degrees of Dentistry, Law, Business Administration and Management, Physics Teaching, Accounting, Mineral’s Engineering and Food Engineering Processing and School Administration and Management. ALG University Scholarships fulfil dreams and change lives forever.

Amongst friends, in your company or individually help your ALG University Scholarship Holders like Carla – bring a great help to Mozambique! Please contact us for more details.

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

9th: We have new latrines thanks to Cascais City Hall!!

The continuous support provided by CMC (Cascais City Hall) to UPG Portugal brings hygiene, health and dignity to rural communities in Xai-Xai!

CMC donated £13’423 in funds to UPG in 2013 for reconstruction efforts in the areas affected by the 2013 floods in the Xai-Xai region. Within the scope of this recovery carried out during these two years, in the impoverished communities, in 2015 ALG developed a micro-programme of Basic Sanitation through Latrines in the region. This year £1'933 have already been applied to build 17 family latrines, benefiting UPG Portugal Sponsored children in the Nhancutse community, Xai-Xai district. In the neighbouring community of Bungane we invested  £478 to benefit 6 families. In 2016 we hope to extend this programme to the Banhine community in order to benefit 13 families, always with funds provided by CMC for the Post-Floods Reconstruction.

This basic sanitation programme has the goal of improving the living conditions of children and their families, living in very basic huts and usually with no sanitation, through the provision of basic single-family latrines.

The provision of dignified housing and a latrine fulfils the Right to Housing foreseen in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It allows children to grow and live in a healthy and safe environment. Housing promotes the psychosocial development, feelings of protection, comfort and safety.

In the rural areas the population has four times lesser probability of using improved sanitation infrastructures and 39% of Mozambican population does not have a latrine. This way diseases are easily and quickly spread ending up by resulting even in deaths, mostly children.

Let’s break the cycle of poverty in Mozambique with better sanitation and health. Please support the construction of ALG Sanitation infrastructures – bring a great help to Mozambique! Please contact us for more details.

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

8th: Hilário – One Year as ALG General Coordinator

Hilario Langa is with ALG for 8 years as a University Scholarship holder and Local Technician in S. Vicente de Paulo. Last year the newly graduate in Business Administration and Management, was ALG’s first hiring on the ground – as the new ALG General Coordinator in Mozambique!

The General Coordinator has a crucial role as ALG Partner providing a link between the Local Partners, on the ground, and the Headquarters in the UK and Portugal. Hilário tries to support all the six Partners when they need and, at the same time, he facilitates the daily link with ALG on the ground. 

 Always with tenderness and dedication to the children Hilário is responsible for:

• Coordinating the actions of the several local projects and provide support through monitoring;
• Improving the implementation of UPG Portugal Sponsoring and the implementation of Education, Nourishment and Health programmes through the follow-up  of individual cases;
• Enabling the development of new projects based on the survey of information and on the needs of Local Partners and Technicians;
• Providing local entities a contact point in the organization, and scheduling regular meetings to keep them up to date with the organization’s activities;
• To follow-up any local issue related with the organization.

Hilário is a huge success for ALG. From a dedicated student to an ALG reliable support on the ground, it has been a true joy to see him grow and help us to break the local poverty cycle!

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

7th: We have an artist in SLM!

We found out that one of the HIV Day Care Centre Sponsored Children in S. Luísa de Marillac, Manjangue is a true artist. Elídio António Sitoe, is 15 years old and attends the 6th grade. Although having a few difficulties with Portuguese, he draws like a grown up. Self-taught he keeps refining his technique copying drawings from books. His expertise is to draw children, trees, flowers and houses with exceptional realism and perspective for his age, which he achieves with the help of a rule.

Elídio is an orphan and lives with his grandmother Rosa Chamba, and his brother Nelson Sitoe who is 10 years old. He loves English and still does not know what he wants to be when he’s older, but ALG is already very proud of this dedicated artist!

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

6th: ALG Charity Challenges keep on giving!

ALG Challenges keep on surprising us. This year we saw ALG friends going for a Cause to Celebrate like Manuel SV who dedicated his birthday party to the little ones in Pre-Schools; or Virgínia C who gave a new hut to Marcelino. A Plen team ran two half-marathons to finance the University Scholarship for teacher Eduardo. The D’Orey Group accepted our challenge and is hosting the Tupperware Challenge, through which the symbolic value of a meal in the canteen or close by the office is exchanged for a “Tupperware lunch” to benefit the SLM School Meals.

Thank you to all these ALG Friends for their initiative and strength to support our cause! Among friends and family, in a party environment, stimulating competition between school classes or just spending a fun afternoon in a company with a strong social responsibility. ALG Challenges give these ambassadors the opportunity to raise funds while they dedicate themselves to a generous, dynamic and usually fun initiative.

We have plenty of examples for you. Do you want to organise an ALG Challenge – Charitable Gourmet, Athlete for a Cause or A Cause to Celebrate? ALG helps with the organization and to make your Challenge a success! Contact us at info@alittlegesture.org

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here

Day 5:The President’s journey after 2 years of longing

Sara V., President of ALG had not been in Mozambique since 2013. The return to ALG roots was an emotional one, full of good memories.

“Leaving is always the hardest part. The uncertainty of the return; the continuity of what we are trying to develop; the weight of distance and of life on the other side.

A few days ago I told UPG Portugal volunteers, who left Chokwé worrying about the unfinished work that the important thing is to focus on what was accomplished. The immensity of our mission - supporting over 2000 on a daily basis - invariably make us feel powerlessness or dissatisfied. But over the years I learn to focus on the small victories. I try to give Salvador enough hope to overcome the pain he felt over the past 2 years. I try to find out that the number of children at school is higher than the anxiety felt by the S. Vicente moms going through every product in the monthly basic basket. I try to feel that Sister Antónia’s vision for S. Luisa is stronger than the Aids statistics that surpass every official number.

Our mission is built on a case by case and chid by child basis, trying to find in each one of them a source of hope, a strength that makes them want more. Our mission is to provide opportunities and help children to use them.

It is not an easy mission and for this reason we always leave with a heavy heart, always wanting to do more. But is a mission with a purpose and every time we go to Mozambique we readjust our path.

We’re together, Mana Sara”

ALG has been offering this festive calendar to all ALG friends since 2011. This year you can also print a high definition version for only 1£!

Donate here