About Moz

Following the withdraw of Portugal from the country, Mozambique engaged in a civil war until 1994. The rebel forces were at least 40% child soldiers that were abducted from villages, brain-washed and forced to fight (similar to the book The Long Road Home based on the civil war in Sierra Leone and to scenes from Blood Diamond). This means that much of the adult population now in Mozambique were actively engaged in the war. These are the parents and leaders of the country.

Education is severely inadequate. Many adults are still studying under the seventh grade. In some parts of the country, classes are not even offered past grade seven. It is a major accomplishment to complete grade ten. Although a university degree costs around a $1000 US, this is not accessible to the majority of the population because of the entrance tests, number of available spots, or lack of finances.

The water is unsafe to drink, containing parasites and other diseases. Within the last few years there was a cholera outbreak in Pemba, where we were staying. This also makes fresh fruit and vegetables unsafe to eat unless cooked or cleaned with bleach water. Most people do not eat every day. Some children have yellow hair, a sign of chronic malnutrition.

One in five children die before their fifth birthday. Some estimates are that 100% of street children are sexually active, either being abused or abusing other children. Many children die before they are 18 if they are on the street.

On our visit to the southern border of Mozambique, to Ponto de Ouro, we visited a local missionary that had been working in the area for 14 years. She told us that she has recently heard that in the capital city (Maputo, about 2 hours away), the local nurses and undertakers had made financial agreements. The undertakers were paying nurses to murder their patients in order to increase the funeral business.
Although there is so much work to be done in Mozambique- the AIDS crisis, education, health, infrastructure- it is also a beautiful country, with its entire eastern border on the Indian Ocean. The people are reserved but welcoming. They are desperate to improve their conditions and the lives of their children. Although many children are suffering in their homes, we also met many parents that would do anything to help their children. Unfortunately, this often meant allowing their children to be taken care of by foreign aid. Many children are forced to the street because there is simply no food in the house. This is a country that is still recovering from their past, and is hopeful for their future.