About All Nations Mozambique, Matola

This is a small programme run by a Christian missionary couple, Pieter and Rika. They began working with Heidi Baker at Iris Ministries in 1997 and worked there for 4 years. They decided to set up another programme and in 2004/5 returned and rented a house in Matola where they took in abandoned babies and very young children.

There are now 2 houses, one in Matola and one at Fomento (nearby). They hope to be able to rent another property and open a third house.

The children are abandoned by their families and are referred to All Nations by churches, the Ministry of Social Welfare and by doctors at the Alto Mae clinic where the project is well known. Some of the children with HIV are being treated and monitored by the clinic. There are currently 5 children with HIV and all children are monitored monthly and those that need it are treated with anti-retrovirals.

Pieter and Rika want to bring up the children in a loving family environment and they prefer to have smaller separate units rather than one big unit.

Each house has permanent staff who work on a shift system. There are 11 paid staff in total ¡V house mothers, cooks, educators and a guard. The educators run a pre-school programme at the houses. None of the children are old enough for formal schooling yet. Pieter and Rika hope to start their own school in the near future.

All Nations is a recognised charity. It receives no funding from government and relies on outside sponsorship. A child sponsorship scheme is in place and individual children are sponsored for varying amounts. Sponsors are from the USA, South Africa, the UK, Australia and Germany. They have set a budget of $35 per child per month. Sponsors are not asked to sponsor long term and can support a child financially for as little, or as long, as they like. The money raised is used for clothes, food and medicines for that child plus transport to clinic visits.

Children are allowed to stay at the project until they are ready to leave. Pieter and Rika feel strongly that children should not be ¡§kicked out¡¨ at the age of 16 or 18 as this is when they are very vulnerable. They see the houses as being a long term family home for the children. None of the children are at that stage yet. Contact is maintained with the children¡¦s families and some of them are visited regularly by their fathers or grandparents. None of the children have ever been reclaimed by their families. Pieter believes that their parents can see that life is better and more secure for them at All Nations. Adoptions are possible from the centre.

The centre receives foreign volunteers especially over the American summer holidays when young people and school leavers come and volunteer.

Pieter is continually fundraising for the growing needs of the centre. When asked how we could support him he asked for individuals to sponsor children if possible. Other things he needs are:

1. 1. Children's clothing
2. 2. Educational toys
3. 3. Colouring books
4. 4. Baby bottles
5. 5. Plastic plates and cups
6. 6. Small children's tables
7. 7. Old furniture, especially a sofa and armchairs
8. 8. TV and DVD player (so that the children can watch a DVD in the evenings)
9. 9. Nappies (diapers)
10. 10. Infant formula ¡V Lactogen 1 and 2
11. 11. Vegetables and fruits '