:::: ESPERANÇA - SAVING CHILDREN'S LIVES ::::

One of the first government programs to be cut during times of peril is often education. Poor countries struggle through civil war, unrest and economic downturn only to survive with a generation of illiterate children. Keeping children in school and teaching parents how to read provides the foundation for health and financial sustainability.

Ana Paola is a 12-year-old mother of three. Technically, she is their older sister, but the responsibility of feeding and caring for these children fell on her shoulders when their mother died of AIDS two years ago. Ana Paola could either leave school to care for her siblings, or send them to the orphanage. The orphanages are teeming full and she couldn’t imagine a life without her brothers and sisters.

Nonetheless, leaving school at such a young age greatly limited Ana Paola’s resources. Her life is a stunted seed that will never reach its intended potential. She is at great risk for becoming infected with HIV/AIDS herself; without employment, she is more subject to prostitution. Community health workers in Mozambique work in five targeted villages outside of Beira. They walk door-to-door, meeting with neighbors, learning the names of their children and brainstorming solutions to meet their health and social needs.

It was an Esperança worker who discovered Ana Paola bouncing her youngest sibling on her hip. After a bit of conversation, the young girl told the woman about her situation. Within a few days, Ana Paola had help. The worker had located an elder in the community who would look after the children. Ana Paola’s and two of her other sibling’s school tuition and uniform fees were paid. Suddenly, the girl’s future was restored. By keeping children in school, we are providing not only an opportunity for education but also a way to avoid the dangers of daily life on the streets of Mozambique.