Inland from the coast, some Italians run a mission out in the woods. Once a month, a local nurse paid for by the mission, distributes medicines to the sick throughout the area, we leave the medicines we collected from the 100km Namib Desert runners back in July. At the same mission, we also leave a 150-Euro token to buy pearl millet, peanuts, sugar and eggs. These elements, finely ground, produce a high-protein flour called “papanha”. This is distributed to the poor, the malnourished children and to HIV positive mothers to feed to their children.

Each offers learning and social opportunities to the children attending the nurseries (about twenty in each nursery). No one could attend a school, as they live a three-hour walk from the nearest village.
There is a fully qualified paid teacher in every nursery and a cook is employed to take care of the meals. This project encourages education (as we at Elfo do) and creates employment. We thought this project an excellent idea.

We gladly donate a 300-Euro Elfo token towards the nurseries’ expenses - school material, teachers and food.

Dona Maria is 30-years old; her husband is unemployed and she has five children ranging between 4-months and 10-years. Despite this poor family’s financial condition, they are all miraculously healthy and united (rare case in the bairro).
Dona Ancha, on the other hand, is 25 and not so lucky. Along with her night-watch-husband, they are HIV positive and have lost two children; they are currently expecting their third.

Both Maria and Ancha are very good pupils at the sewing course they attend. Serious and reliable, once they finish the course, they will still need some help supporting their families. We buy them two Singer sewing machines - black and made of iron with a pedal. These machines cannot make zigzags but, for them, they run like Ferraris. Unfortunately, they are not delivered in time, therefore we cannot take a picture of them, but as soon as they are available, we will publish them on the website.
We leave a 300 Euro Elfo token for the machines and the laboratory project.

His name is Belmiro; born on 31 August 1993, he is now 15 years old and he is doing well at school. He is the first born of six children - four brothers and two sisters. On her fourth pregnancy, his mum gave birth to triplets; she is now only 30 years old and HIV positive. She found out about her illness during one of her pregnancies and thanks to the treatment she has been undergoing, her children are all healthy. Her husband is also HIV positive, and now he has a relationship with another woman. Their house is impeccable.
Considering the difficult family conditions and the incredibly good job Belmiro is doing to take care of their house, whilst also attending the school and getting such good results, we decided to give him a chance for a better future. We pre-adopt him by leaving a 240-Euro Elfo donation.

If anyone should be interested in becoming his supporter, please contact us.

These are the sewing machines given to Ancha and Maria during the end of sewing-course party organized by the Ursuline sisters.
Dominique has sent us the pictures by e-mail; happiness and emotion are clearly visible on their smiling faces. One of the many things we have learned during this incredible journey is that we alone will never change Africa - we could never do that. However, we can help them to help themselves; no matter how small a contribution, it can make a difference to their lives. Elfo’s contribution to these two girls can bring opportunity to help them make a real difference.
(“We” means all Elfo friends - no one is excluded)

[ indietro ]