ADPP in partnership with Word Jewish Relief (WJR), and in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH), with funds from the Start Fund, have been supporting elementary school in Chimoio district since last December to create the conditions for a safe resumption of classes in the face of COVID-19.
The kits distribution actions covered five elementary school in Chimoio district, benefiting a total of 4000 students and 800 vulnerable families. A Launching ceremony to support schools in the prevention and combat of COVID-19, it took place at the full elementary school on October 4, and was directed by the Provincial Director of Education, Mr. Baptista Fernando, in the presence of distinguished guests.
The emergency intervention to support the continuity of education in the country, distributes to each student a kit composed of 5 notebooks, 3 pencils, 2 pens, 2 bars of soap and 2 face protection masks.
To each of the five selected schools, the project distributed hygiene kits composed of 100 soap boxes, 5 buckets of 100L with taps, 4 sprayers, 10 containers of 20L of leach, 2 digital thermometers for measuring temperature and a megaphone for disseminating messages about the prevention of COVID-19.
For families, in order to ensure food security and livelihoods, a farming kit consisting of a hoe and various seeds was delivered to each household as a way to stimulate their agricultural production and ensure their survival (1 hoe, 1kg corn, 1kg butter bean, 1kg nhemba bean, 10 g cabbage, 10 g cabbage, 10 g lettuce, 10 g onion and 10 g tomato).
In his launching speech, the Provincial Director of Education, Baptista Fernando, acknowledged the support that ADPP has provided to the education sector since the damage caused by cyclone IDAI in the provinces of Manica and Sofala.
“We recognize ADPP’s commitment to supporting the causes of education and development in the country. This organization joins the government’s efforts and has always been hand in hand with our province since Cyclone IDAI passed earlier. We want to reiterate that the support it provides to our schools today is an asset to our fight against COVID-19,” he said.
Geraldo Zaval, coordinator of the project, said that the 60-day initiative adapted the reality of the schools to the “new normal” so as to allow a safe resumption of classes and avoid the fear of parents and guardians of letting their children go back to school.
“The initiative is having the support of local authorities, the government and the communities themselves who are accompanying the distribution of kits for schools, students and families,” he said.