Mossuril Museum of Slavery's Nursery School

Hope Springs Eternal

We are feeling good here in Mossuril because while there is still no green light from the District Government to get started on our long-awaited Pre-school, we have found a way to go forward. It feels wrong to wait any more without taking some positive action. So while a big pile of our plans, documents and architectural drawings and forms sit stranded somewhere between Mossuril and Ilha (Mozambique Island) bogged down in a quagmire of red tape, and despite all the assurances of fast-tracking we were given, we are moving on to Plan B. 

Quite a lot of living in Sub-Saharan Africa is about waiting, so in order to survive there always has to be a Plan B. Actually, our new plan is just the same old plan but with a new location. A supporter of the Escolinha / Pre-school project has generously offered us the use of 3 rooms and a playground with a separate entrance. So, finally, 54 local children can get their just dessert.

We were given the use of the new buildings on Thursday 8^th November and on Sunday 10^th the SHINE Women’s group gathered to see the new premises and to help organize the roofing, painting and fitting necessary to open the Escolinha Eremolo (Hope) by the end of January 2020.

Adamgy, in the photo below, will help with the building and Tauacal, also in a photo below, is the painter and assistant roofer.  Both have been contracted to start work next Monday. Both of them have worked with Teran Foundation on and off since 2004 and both have children who will attend the Escolinha so they are very excited.

On the 22^nd of November, 18 zinc roof plates will be delivered. And 10 sacks of local cal / lime have been ordered from the local lime supplier. 2 new doors have been ordered. WC equipment will have to come from Nampula  a buying trip planned for mid-December.

On December 12 there will be an Annual General Meeting of SHINE in which uniform fabrics and design will be chosen, and the future kids’ fees will be decided. After that meeting, radio advertisements will be broadcast on Radio Mossuril to inform local parents that the pre-school inscription is open.

In our Sunday meeting, it was decided that 10 children from SHINE parents or relatives can attend the Escolinha free of charge. And between 10 and 20 places will be reserved for the children of local Government children (e.g. from the Administration, Education, Health Services, Police etc.) Another 10 places should be sponsored to allow 10  children from very poor families to attend. And the other 14 places will be up for grabs on a first come first serve basis.

The fees will be approximately 3.2 USD per month (200 Meticals). That seems to be what (some, at least of the) local people can afford and is in line with the few other rural pre-schools in Nampula Province.

The Escolinha will be open from 8am until 12 noon 5 days a week and it will provide a healthy drink and snack each day. Two of the shine women, namely Fatima the President and Angela will run the Escolinha. They will receive special training and a part time salary of 2,000 meticals each (Approx. 30 USD) per month to be taken from the children’s fees.

After paying the 2 part-time salaries, there will be a surplus of 4,400 meticals (approx 35 USD) per month to cover electricity, water, snacks, and material. It will be tight but do-able.

Luckily, the Escolinha will not have to pay a guard for the first year as a sponsored guard will take care of it.

                                                                Eromelo = Hope

And we live in hope that this Escolinha will be temporary and at some point in the next year we can move it into its rightful home at the museum.

Meanwhile, we look forward to welcoming the first children to Eromelo ten weeks from today and to sending a video of the opening  to all our patient sponsors. Thank you.