A SMALL GESTURE, A BIG HELP | GAZA

Students at the Santa Luísa de Marillac School

The School of Santa Luísa de Marillac (SLM) is located in the Gaza Province of Mozambique and provides education to over 800 students. In addition to education, it seeks to provide care for HIV-born children, teach key vocational skills in technical courses and rebuild some of the houses of its families to create favorable conditions to help them break out of poverty.

This project will provide 5 bicycles for students of SLM who receive assistance to attend the school, but still have difficulties in arriving due to the long distances that they must walk each day to arrive. Often their travel is in the dark, making each journey unsafe for children of their age, and decreasing the time they can spend on homework or family chores.

One of the children who will receive a bicycle is Narciso, a 13 year old boy who suffers from [paraplegia espasticidade], which made him unable to walk in the past. Through a long period of physical therapy provided by the school, Narciso can now walk and attends SLM. However, the hour trip each way is very difficult for him. The bicycle will not only reduce his travel time to 15 minutes, but will stimulate his motor coordination and further assist with his therapy and overall health – while enabling him to continue with his education!

These bicycles will be distributed in partnership with Um Pequeno Gesto Uma Grande Ajuda (UPG), an NGO with a strong relationship with the SLM school since 2011, which also provides assistance with key school costs to over 150 students.

This project will provide:

• 13 Bikes
• Transport to Manjangue
• Spare parts and accesories (Led Light, Pumps, tools and patch kit)
• Bicycle use workshop and class for students of SLM school