The Story of Matsinho B Community
The poverty of the people living in Matsinho B Community, Mozambique, is confronting. Poor living conditions play a contributing factor to the various health challenges that exist in the community. The impact of these health challenges has resulted in a number of parents passing away in recent years - often leaving children either alone or under the care of another relative. With little opportunity for employment, many people are forced to rely on farming small plots of land to survive. The practicing of witchcraft and traditional medicine has created a stronghold within the community, leading to many turning to these practices rather than to health care from clinics. Each of these challenges adds to the vulnerability of the people living in Matsinho B Community.
100 Children currently supported:
17 Care Workers Coordinated by Antonio
Basic Services Started in 2018
60 km from the Chimoio Local Office
In 2011, Care Workers from the local church in Matsinho united to carry out their calling to care for the most vulnerable children. In 2015, Hands at Work partnered with them to create Matsinho A Community Based Organisation (CBO). Since the local Hands at Work team in Chimoio formed, they have supported and grown the Care Workers within the Matsinho A CBO. The Care Workers are quick to advocate for the children that they care for, especially the young girls, who are susceptible to early marriage and teenage pregnancy.
After spending several years in Matsinho A, it became evident that the needs of the most vulnerable within the community and the surrounding areas were continuing to grow. The leaders of Hands at Work knew that they had to respond. In February 2018, the Chimoio team and the Zimbabwe Regional Support Team started walking in a new area of the community, known as Matsinho B. They saw that there were many children in desperate need of life-giving services. One of the pastors, who was supporting the original Matsinho A Life Centre, was living in the Matsinho B area. He graciously offered his church building to be used as the new Life Centre. His wife, who was already a Care Worker, became the ‘Mother Theresa’ of the Matsinho B CBO. Two Care Workers, who were serving at the original Life Centre also moved to serve at the Matsinho B Life Centre. Through church mobilisation and sharing the vision of Hands at Work, an additional 12 Care Workers have joined Matsinho B CBO and are committed to serving the most vulnerable.
In July 2018, 50 children started receiving a hot, nutritious meal daily and support with their education and basic health care - a number that has since increased to 100. The Chimoio team have been walking with the Care Workers as they visit the children in their homes. They encourage the Care Workers to build strong relationships with the children, which enables them to support each child physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Despite their own difficulties and immense vulnerability, the Care Workers aim to bring Christ-like hope and love to their community.
As Matsinho B continues to develop into a thriving Life Centre, investments have been made to various structures, including a purpose-built kitchen shelter and a children’s shelter being built at the end of 2021.
The local Hands at Work team in Chimoio currently supports five Community Based Organisations, which exist to care for the most vulnerable in their communities. The office provides training, networking, and encouragement to those Community Based Organisations like Matsinho B. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.
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When Gertrude was 6 years old her father died, leaving her mother to care for her and her 4 year old brother, Alexandre. “It was sad for us to lose our father,” Germena says. “It was difficult. No one was helping us, and my mother worked very hard in the fields to provide food for us. We did not have any money and many times we went to bed hungry. Without a father in the house we did not feel safe and were scared of other people to abuse us.”
For the past four years, Chumai has suffered from epilepsy. His mother decided to return to her family because she could not deal with Chumai’s illness or those of the rest of the family, including Chumai’s father. A few months after leaving her children, Chumai’s mother remarried. Tragically Chumai’s father, Joaquim, died after falling from a platform used to dry maize cobs.