The 1st of June is Mozambican children’s day. Each school has a party where the children are required to bring food from home to celebrate the event. Sadly for many children in Beira, their families find it difficult to provide money for special clothes and party food for all of their children and so they miss out!! The day is really important to kids in Mozambique as most families do not celebrate birthdays with a cake and presents are unheard of so it’s the one-day in the year especially dedicated to show the children that they are special!
From the 28th of May until June the 4th, Oasis enabled 38 churches, 3 orphanages and 1 school who run Education Alive to celebrate children’s day. Each leader was given a special pack of equipment for the day, with party games, balloons, special posters to colour, a story, songs and also a financial contribution towards food for the children.
The parties were great! Happy children came dressed in their normal clothes, enjoyed the fun, activities and food. At one party a child ran in to the community shouting to his friends, “Come now, you’re missing out!” It was a great heartfelt testimony of how the children felt about the day.
Although 3 churches chose not to get involved this year, we’ve been encouraged by many others who have been willing to supplement the money which we gave to provide more for the children. In Colheita Crista church the women organised a special harvest offering to provide all the children with a meal of rice and beans that they had gathered in their fields. It’s great to think that slowly the attitudes in the church may be changing towards children, where at least for one day they are specifically showing them God’s love.
Super update on all that has happened and is going on.
Posted by: sheenahardie | June 17, 2008 at 12:00 PM