The Return of the Hero!

The tale of Gil Mucavele is one of the many ALG is proud to tell. 

Brought up in Xai-Xai, Mozambique, Gil was one of the first children supported by our sister-charity UPG Portugal. In 2010, revealing a strong determination and commitment, he asked our support to graduate in Dentistry in the University of Dentistry in Nampula. 

The early years were difficult but Gil never gave up. Far from his hometown and from his family, facing several financial difficulties, he had to sacrifice a lot. The sacrifices paid off and today Gil is a successful man.

These days he has succeeded in his education and the community considers him a “hero” and role model. He returned home for his holiday break and during that time he contributed to improve the living conditions of his community around the Escolinha do André school supported by our charity. He offered training on oral hygiene and ran dental check-ups on the children in the school.

Alongside his dream of spreading smiles all over the place with his degree, Gil is also a gifted young man with a passion for music. Lately he has been invited to TV shows to present his band and already recorded an album.

Gil makes us all proud – the community and ALG. It is this success that we wish for all our children, it is this difference we want to make. Enabling every child, on their own, to find tools which allow them to break the cycle of poverty. 

We want to continue to have cases like Gil’s. Gil is part of the 1% of Mozambican children who go to University and we wish increase in the number of our children who try to study for longer. For £1’000-£1’400 per year, ALG finances university fees and partial living costs to a small group of children with proven merit.

Make your Little Gesture and be a part of this path of success!  

A very special Valentines card

This Valentines, show your other half your love – and send some of it to Mozambique!

Print for your loved one from £4 and make a child smile in Mozambique. Donate here or contact us now 
                                      

For more details, contact info@alittlegesture.org

Santa Luisa de Marillac - HIV Day Centre

The SLM HIV Centre provides a complete and personalized programme for HIV/AIDS infected children, on a day care basis, ensuring adequate nutrition, medication and constant medical assistance. This comprehensive and tailored support has a daily cost of £86/month per infected child. The aim is to alleviate local poverty and provide a more dignified and healthy childhood to seriously ill children.

The refurbished centre facilities are located within the SLM school premises. The community already benefits from direct sponsorship of 118 children under ALG (Portugal) and from programmes on Infrastructure, Education and Sustainability. Under the supervision of our Local Partner Sister Lidia, it is set to be another Great Help in this impoverished area of Mozambique!

Contact us now at info@alittlegesture.org for more details!

In the most difficult moments always a smile...

Today we recall the words of volunteer Sara Ferreira, who travelled with UPG Portugal to Chokwé just before the flood crisis. 

She was tireless and brave helping the refugee population in the CRPE Orphan Centre, and in the middle of the chaotic floods she become a nurse, a mentor and a friendly shoulder.

"The greatest difficulties were felt during the two first weeks, because there was no adjustment period. The options were “to do, or to do” - there was no option other than trying to the best we could to help the population.

After Brother Licínio’s arrival it was difficult to find the most needed ones who were hiding in the Centre surrounding areas.

“I was asked if I loved it...one cannot love calamity... suffering, pain and wounds … but I loved the experience, the people, and the country because even in the hardest moments I always had a smile like this one, here and there... Thank you Mozambique... I have to thank you too, despite all the initial confusion I always felt at home, I was welcomed as a daughter, I took care of you like my own, I overcame the hardest moments and keep the good ones in my heart … I did not arrive in the “worst” time, I arrived in the right time for you, and everything happens for a reason … I came back with an overflowing heart. 

Tá tá! Sister Sara”

THANK YOU ALG DONORS!

One year from today, Mozambique was devastated by violent floods causing over 200k homeless, 113 dead and 250k affected people. ALG was there from the start as the ALG Flood Emergency Fund saved lives and sent relief efforts to the population thanks to your Great Help.

Today we remember this disaster, thanking those of you who generously contributed more than £62’475 in funds rebuild the local communities of XaiXai and Chokwe to bring hope and rebuild the affected communities.

THANK YOU ALG DONORS!

Day 25: This year with the help of everyone ALG supported 1581 children. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WE WISH YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

In 2013, we supported 911 children individually and directly through the Sponsorship programme ran by our sister charity UPG Portugal. Each child is allocated a sponsor, preferably Portuguese-speaking, and granted access to school, a monthly basic basket or lunch depending on the project. Besides material goods, the children feel nurtured and important because there is someone, many miles away, who thinks about them and who transforms their lives every month and provides them nutrition.

Alongside the backbone of the Sponsoring programme, the Projects by ALG UK and UPG Portugal play a vital role ion complementing and furthering this work.  We believe it is important to “provide” these families with better liveability conditions in housing or access to water; as well as additional sustainability tools, to teach the families and children how to develop their competences in order to live better lives.

Under our Poverty Relief area, we developed Orphan Support further by ensuring a meal for the 120 orphans who check into the Centre Rebirth for Hope (CRPE) on a daily basis while attending morning school close by. We also supported the launch and running costs of the new Home for Orphans in the CRPE, where 13 orphans boarded full time this year and upt to 20 can now have a place to call home.

In 2013, in the Education area, we supported two Pre-Schools, with 170 children between 3 to 5 years old. We provided After-Class study support for 280 youngsters eager to learn, and in our Technical Courses we have around 100 children learning trades in skills-based courses. We helped 8 Uni Scholarship holders to fulfil their dreams of going to college and 103 mums develop their dream of writing their own name in our Literacy Courses.

In the Infrastructure area we built 10 huts, with the support of individual sponsors, benefiting 40 people. We built two Water Wells and we are starting another one to improve the lives of over 1’000 people.

The sister charity UPG also supported an Elderly Fund for older age beneficiaries with health problems living isolated in rural areas, by financing a monthly basic basket.

Thank you for all you help which allowed us to fulfil ALG’s dream of changing the lives of children, their families, youngsters and elderly!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Donate to ALG now!

Day 24: The value of every £ donated to ALG!

“I visited my sponsored child Edna Nena in the Escolinha do André school, in Xai-Xai, and it was a very special moment. I was very anxious because despite the distance we created an emotional bond, which is materialised beautifully if one has the opportunity to go there.

I had the greatest surprise when I observed, in situ, the dimension of ALG’s activity and its importance. I visited several schools with hundreds of children, a few communities, the ALG Local Partners and accompanied the local volunteers in their activities.

I saw numerous children attending school, benefiting from After-Class study support, having their School Meal thanks to ALG; I met a deeply grateful mother for having a Portuguese Sponsor providing her child what she could not on her own; I witnessed the happiness of a dozen women which received a small loan [under the Income Generation project] which will help them contribute to support their family and I was fortunate to participate in a symbolic tea party with so little to offer but providing such feelings of warmth and tenderness; I met the missionary sisters, ALG Local Partners, true warriors on the ground every day watching over all the children and their families. 

I received affection, attention and gratitude at all times. So much more than what I gave.

Thank you ALG UK and UPG Portugal for giving me this unforgettable experience. I came back even more aware of the value a pound has when it is delivered to ALG.”

Testimonial of Maria do Céu S., a Sponsor under our sister charity UPG Portugal. She travelled with her husband Filipe from Portugal to Mozambique, in August

Donate to ALG now!

Day 23: The ALG Team running in London for the CRPE Home for Orphans!

In October, a group of 22 volunteers of mixed nationalities, from Greece to Arizona, got together to run the first ALG half-marathon in Hyde Park, London. The ALG team reached their target of £20’000 by participating in the Royal Parks Half-Marathon raising funds for the new ALG Home for Orphans at the CRPE Orphan Centre, in Chinhacanine. 

With each £330 raised each runner paid a year of meals, 24-hour care and accommodation. Thank you ALG Team for helping us to reach or ambitious goals!

Do you want to participate in a sporting event and raise funds for ALG? Please contact us at info@alittlegesture.org

Donate to ALG now!

Day 22: 2 new ALG water wells in Feb - another one coming!

57% of the population of Mozambique, including up to 70% of the country’s rural population, have no access to drinkable water.

In 2012 we built 2 drinkable water wells, one in Bungane and another one in Conjoene, with an average cost of £12’500, which reduced the distance of over 4 hours the community had to walk to fetch water. These water wells improve quality of life for the children and their families, in essentially rural and of difficult access areas, through a more adequate access to safe water sources. They promote gender equality since they avoid young girls having to skip classes in school to instead walk for miles to get water for their families.

Successfully inaugurated in February this year, the ALG water wells engage the local community in management committees and in the symbolic payment of the water used. This year preparations are underway to build another one!

Donate to ALG now!

Day 21: Always some perfume in the hands of the one offering roses …

Sister Lídia, our Local Partner in SLM – Santa Luisa Marilac, saw her school being destroyed by the January floods. With her tireless joy she set about the task of rebuilding this safe haven for 660 disadvantaged children in Manjangue, Chokwé. SLM is a very poor school where 117 of the students are sponsored on an individual basis by our sister charity UPG Portugal. And has always a kind word for the ALG friends…

“It is with great joy we are sending our testimonial on our partnership with ALG UK and UPG Portugal and all their support provided.
We can say with all certainty that everything is derived from ALG’s support and solidarity.

• Children are healthy, improved their nutrition and even the children with HIV/AIDS, are strong and manage to keep up.
• The Sister Nurse, who checks if the antiretroviral medication is been taken regularly, has processed the monitoring of infected children with all care and tenderness.
• With the work developed by the monitors in the After-Scholl classrooms, the school results improved a lot over the 2^nd term with better grades, individual follow up for weaker students and constant monitoring by the teachers of assiduity and school attendance.
• The regular weekly visits by the monitors to the sponsored children’s homes , has been an added value, increasing that family’s awareness that they have direct responsibility over their children and grandchildren growing up, bit at the same time allowing us to check the hygiene conditions and home environment of all the family life.
• The relationship between the children has evolved and we feel the mutual help growing, not only in school but also in their homes.
• The will to share also spread through the retribution for the help received. The mums, sisters and grandmothers have been working weekly in the farming plots and the production improved greatly. They work with dedication, interest and joy from the oldest to the youngest.
• Children were livelier with the Feeding Support provided after the floods, which allowed them to have soup or porridge on a daily basis. It was a great help since they had nothing to eat; everything was taken and destroyed by the waters. Even after resuming the work on the farming plots, production was not immediate and the sugar provided under your support made the children’s life sweeter.
• We cannot also forget the Seeds donated by ALG to restart our farming plots, which will help us to produce more and faster. We already harvested beans, tomatoes, lettuces, and next week we will harvest potatoes. The garlic looks good and we are about to transplant the cabbages and onions. Along with support provided to the school plots we thank you for the support provided to improve the farming plots of some children’s families.
• Our hearts were moved by the help provided in the School Reconstruction that has been taking place to rebuild everything damaged by the floods: We already have the window’s nets ready, the doors, the warehouse floor, the desks are almost finished, and we are changing the locks on the windows. The bathrooms were improved and now we will move on to fixing the stoves, dish drainers and finally the general painting. Our school will be like new and on our own we would never be able to gather the necessary conditions to solve the problems caused by all the damages.
• The presence of all the local volunteers travelling from Portugal was very enriching because through their work they not only incentivize and support the children but also manage to involve the teachers and parents. Their joyful and friendly presence, with no demands, living the daily life at school has been a huge help.
• The University Scholarship support provided to Silvestre and Eduardo cannot go unmentioned, by improving local capacities we will have better results for children and a brighter future for these two students. Silvestre has been fully dedicated and Eduardo is in charge of the farming plots and school production doing everything within his reach to involve everyone and to increase the income even more.
• What a joy, we received a camera! Now we can register and share everything that happens here.
• Your financing of Technical Courses has helped the income generation initiatives making them more efficient and quicker. What we received so far helped us purchase materials and mainly invest in cooking classes by using the products from the farming plots, in candle making, in the banana trees, sowing and agriculture.
• It is also important to remember the UPG Portugal sponsors who sent gifts and packages to children, providing them joy and reminding them that they are not alone.
• The partnership with ALG also brought us the joy of your visits. It feels good to welcome you and by coming here you can confirm everything we have been doing with your help. Your visits bring us joy, elevate our spirits and allows us to create stronger and deeper bonds.

There is always a scent of perfume left in the hands of the ones offering roses, in the hands that can be generous, thus we sing in joy and witness the changes observed in our children, in their families and in the school.

Finally I have to thank for all the care and attention shown by Mama Sara [Chairman, ALG] and Mama Anabela [Head of Sponsoring, UPG] in providing us everything we need.

On behalf of the team at school, monitors, teachers, students and all the sponsored children we thank you and we ask Good to repay you everything you do for us.

With love, from Sister Lídia and from all the team in Santa Luisa.”

Donate to ALG now!