About Machaka Association

The Machaka Association was founded in 2000. The 27th September this year is the 8th anniversary of it¡¦s foundation. The initial association was assisted by the French NGO, ESSOR. Since then an Italian group, GVC, has helped to fund the cultural events that Machaka has put on. The group was set up to work combating delinquency which was a major problem in the bairro. Young people were leaving school with no vocational training and no jobs to go to and were causing problems in the area. Mafalala is a very poor bairro with a lot of unemployment. Most people run small businesses selling vegetables or charcoal. Some work as empregadas or guards. There are many people from the northern provinces of Mozambique in the bairro and a lot of Muslims. There is also teaching and awareness - raising about drugs, alcohol and HIV. Last year they went to Kenya by bus and next year they are hoping to go to Brazil. In Kenya they worked in a poor bairro of Nairobi called Kowkoisha, doing mainly social activities with children, workshops, debates and performances of dancing.

The project was shown by Henrique Balate.

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