ICM's donations to charities for this year and to include some/all of the proceeds from the 2009 November Xmas Bazaar are :

1. All Nations Mozambique

This is in Matola and looks after about 25 young children - all under 5 - who are orphans, have been found abandoned in rubbish bins and by the sides of roads. Some are HIV positive and are on treatment. The members of the club visited last year and were very enthusiastic about the work being done there.

Last year we gave them money for new bedding, curtains and furnishings for 2 large bedrooms at their centre in Matola. Then later in January 2010, we gave them $1,300 from Joline’s fund and about $1,700 from ICM funds – this was to make some wooden beds for the little babies who had grown too big for their cots and needed beds. They used the rest of the money to buy food and some clothes for the children they look after. They have recently bought some land in Matola , thanks to a generous donation from a UK supporter, and hope to build a house there, instead of paying rent to landlords. Pieter and Rika have access to a house building team who they hope will help them with the house construction this year.

2. Arco Iris

This orphanage started in 1994 when an American couple , Heidi and Roland Baker, were moved by the plight of Mozambicans after the civil war and decided to come to Mozambique and see what they could do to help. Arco Iris is presently situated at Zimpeto, although they have other centres in Machava, Marracuene and Matola. The orphanage is home to 350 boys nd 50 girls. The school there is open to local children as well as the children in the orphanage up to grade 7. From grade 8 , pupils travel to schools in Maputo. The orphanage runs after school activities and youth groups.They are starting to branch out into vocational training for young people who have finished their education, as it is very difficult for them to find gainful employment here. Arco Iris is supported by Mainly American Interdenominational churches. There are 8 full time missionaries working there.

We have given two donations. About 36,000 mets in January 2009 for the training of 5 electricians and 1 welder. Jane went to see them in May/June 2009 with Christina and Jenny Hammond. They were so grateful for the opportunity to have received proper training and they all have jobs now. March 10, 2010, Jane has given Arco Iris 86,000 mets for another 6 students to do the same training and for the setting up of a small farm so that they can be self sufficient. They need to buy seeds, compost, tools, compost bin etc. We are looking forward to seeing the farm in full production.

3. Casa Alegria:

This is Mozambique's only hospice and provides care for adults and children who are HIV positive or have AIDS. The nuns are the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa's order. They do outreach work in the community (Hulene B) and also try their best to re-integrate people into the community if they are well enough. They are at risk of opportunistic infections if they stay in the environment of the hospice unnecessarily.

In early February 2010, Jane took a donation of $1,000 for them to buy nutritious food, cleaning products and bedding. Many people who are taking anti-retrovirals for HIV infection are in need of a special diet and more frequent meals.

4. Horizonte Azul

This is a youth project run by a very dynamic activist called Dalila Macuacua. They are starting a sports and drawing and design course as an after school activity and would like sports equipment and some arts supplies. They are working with children who are vulnerable in Maxaquene.

We have worked with this organisation for a couple of years. In November 2009 they had donations of 15,000 mets for school books, pens, pencils and other school materials and then later in the year for a football kit and for artisits materials for their after school homework support club. 2 young men have been given support by Naguib, a celebrated Mozambican artist - thier paintings are very vibrant and already show a lot of promise. On March 9, Jane went shopping in the Baixa with their community activist and bought more school supplies. She also met with the tailor and arranged for 20 uniforms to be made. Total donation this time was about 24,000 mets.

5. Imagine

Imagine at Catembe was set up by Joe and Lorraine Williams, who had been working in Mozambique for some years and helping the Missionaries of Charity at Hulene . They were asked by Mozambican officials to look at an area of depreivation in Catambe and see if they could set up a youth programme. Since then, they have never looked back and their projects work with children, elderly people, youths , widows - in fact every group of vulnerable people in Catembe. There are 5 purpose built family homes with house parents and 10 -12 children in each home. Orphans and children who come from difficult family backgrounds are housed and cared for as though within a normal family.

We have given them $2000 from Joline’s fund for the building of a playground in July 2009 – this is where the ICM will visit on March 25th. Also just given them in early March $2,000 (about 61,000mets) for 3 ovens for their family homes. Any money left over will go towards a water pump.

6. Ingrid Chawner Centre

This group work with street boys and provide a home for 36 of them, with the emphasis on providing education and life skills.They try to re-integrate all the boys into their families and last year had a 100% success rate (the previous year it was 70%) There is a school also run by them which has 1800 places, open to students from the surrounding area. They are in Zimpeto. Plans are being developed for them to open a large vocational training college on-site and to be able to take students from all over Maputo. They are being supported by a Scandinavian church for this large project.

We gave money for 36 mattresses ( 75, 000 mets) for the street boys who live at the centre. The donation was made in December2009.

7. Machaka

This is a youth organisation in the bairro opposite Shoprite on Accordos de Lusaka. They run a very vibrant dance and music group and want to start computer training . They already have 4 or 5 old computers and are learning to touch type and create documents.

In January 2010, we bought them a security door – 3,500 mets and also a computer and speakers in early March for about 21,000 mets. On March 9, Jessica G. installed the computer for them.They will be teaching young people in the bairro of Mafalala so that they get some IT skills. They plan to send one student for IT training and for them to cascade the teaching throughout the organisation. Internet connection will be paid for by an Italian NGO. Please see their website www.machakamoz.org for more information on their activities.

8. Nzinga Capoeira Group

This is a very dynamic capoeira group taught by Gabriel Limaverde. They meet three times a week in the Escola Industrial downtown . They practice capoeira and exercise together as well as singing and using traditional instruments. In July 2010 they have the opportunity to participate in a capoeira workshop in Brazil, which will cover life-skills and leadership training as well as capoeira itself. We have paid for the tickets (about 66,000 mets) for 2 students to go to the workshop and look forward to hearing their reports and seeing some photographs.