Holidays in mozambique Holidays are very important to your sponsored child More than half of the people in Mozambique adhere to and family. The most important ones have religious Christian beliefs. Another 18 percent of the population significance: are Muslim, and the rest practice other . January 1 New Year’s Day are followers of Jesus, a carpenter and a Jew from the city of Nazareth in present-day Israel. February 3 Christians believe that Jesus is the only son of God, born Heroes’ Day of a virgin woman (Mary) in a stable in Bethlehem. His April 7 story is told in the New Testament of the Christian holy Women’s Day book, the Bible. The Christian symbol—the cross— May 1 reminds the faithful that Jesus died for them, for the Worker’s Day forgiveness of their sins. Christian holidays include June 25 Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus; Good Independence Day Friday, which commemorates the death of Jesus on the October 4 cross; and Easter, the most holy of Christian sacred days, Peace and Reconciliation Day which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus on the third December 25 day after his death. Christmas Population 25 million are followers of . Islam is an Arabic Capital City Maputo word meaning “submission to the will of Allah (God).” Muslims believe that Allah’s will was revealed to the Official Language Portuguese prophet Muhammad more than 14 centuries ago Per Capita Income US$510/year and was captured in the Islamic holy book, the Koran Youth Literacy Rate 80% male/57% female (Qur’an). Together with the Sunnah, a collection of sayings attributed to Muhammad, these texts provide Access to Safe Water 78% urban/33% rural a firm basis for religious and social life for all Muslims, Under 5 Mortality Rate 90/1,000 live births including rules for diet, dress, hygiene, and more. Source: The State of the World’s Children 2014 (UNICEF)

The Republic of Mozambique lies on the Indian Ocean coast of southern Africa. Climates vary by region, but generally the inland areas are slightly cooler and more humid in the Additional sources include the CIA World Factbook and State Department websites. rainy season. Winter is the dry season, which lasts from April to September. The southern areas are usually drier and less tropical than the north, with temperatures along the coast Plan International USA is part of a global organization that works side by side with communities in 50 developing countries to end the cycle of poverty for children. We develop solutions community by community to ensure long-term sustainability. Our averaging 80˚F. The rainy season coincides with the heat and humidity from October to level of community engagement, long-term outlook, and constant focus on the needs and priorities of children is unique among March, with average coastal temperatures of 88˚F. Most of Mozambique’s coastline is international development organizations. Our solutions are designed up-front to be owned by the community for generations to low-lying, consisting of swamps or sandy beaches and backed by thin forest and grassland, come, and range from clean water and health-care programs to education projects and child-protection initiatives. which cover about two-fifths of the country. Further inland are several mountainous regions Promising Futures, Plan International USA formed by the edge of the southern African plateau that extends into Mozambique from the Community by Community 155 Plan Way • Warwick, RI 02886 west. The vegetation of lowland Mozambique is predominantly light forest and grassland, 1-800-556-7918 • planusa.org while on the coast mangroves grow in the swamps. Forests become denser in the higher elevations, particularly along the border with Zimbabwe. A Brief History Primary education and early

Almost five centuries of Portuguese colonization came childhood education to a close for Mozambique with independence on Plan works on a number of initiatives to improve access June 25, 1975. A 17-year civil war started soon after to quality primary education and early childhood independence with an internal military uprising. The development. We promote and support birth war affected Mozambicans severely, and hundreds of registration campaigns, which provide children with thousands of people were killed. More than 1 million the vital documents they need to access social services people fled the country, and more than 1 million others such as education and health care. Since October 2007, were displaced within Mozambique. Many rural people a pilot birth registration project benefited a total of migrated to the cities, especially along the coast where 37,000 children from Jangamo and Maxixe districts. the government maintained control. The country This program also supports the construction of schools, fell into severe economic depression and, given the including classrooms, offices, latrines, and teachers’ disruptions to the agricultural sector, the country was houses. Furniture and materials are also provided. nine schools in partnership with Wona Sanana and Child Language unable to feed itself. A United Nations-negotiated peace Savings International, is expected to see 1,500 children Portuguese is the official language in Mozambique. agreement with rebel forces ended the fighting in 1992. Children’s vulnerability to abuse and actively participate in and benefit from the project. Even when relief food eventually flowed in after the El A pilot early child development project is also being It is very likely that you will encounter a language Niño-induced 1992 famine, Mozambique’s war-ravaged disasters launched in three communities (Ligogo, Licaca, and barrier in communicating with your sponsored child, as the majority of the children do not know enough transportation system prevented efficient distribution This program creates child-friendly spaces and Ravene) in partnership with Child Savings International. English to write a letter. Those who cannot write will be of the food. Heavy flooding in both 1999 and 2000 environments to reduce children’s vulnerability to abuse assigned community workers and volunteers who will severely hurt the economy once more. Although and disasters. We work with the government and civil Diet and Nutrition explain your letters and help the children compose their the economy has now been growing at a healthy society to build capacity on child rights and protection. Maize porridge is the staple food. It’s cooked over a fire responses. rate of around 7 percent during the last few years, As a result of Plan advocacy and training, a provincial and eaten with a vegetable or meat stew. Maize has to Mozambique still remains one of the poorest countries child protection network is being set up in Inhambane Here are a few phrases in Portuguese that you be pounded into flour using wooden poles. in the world. It depends on foreign assistance for major province, led by the Directorate of Woman and Social might want to use in your correspondence with portions of its budget. Action. Plan has also launched the “Learn Without Fear” your sponsored child: campaign in Inhambane, which aims to end violence Economic Security Hola Hello Plan’s work in Mozambique covers against children in schools. The campaign has received Around 70 percent of Mozambicans live in rural areas, four core areas, all of which are great support from the local authorities and education where the majority scratch out a living from subsistence Como esta? How are you? rooted in the rights of the child: officials. farming. Maize, sugarcane, tobacco, rice, tea, and citrus fruits are all grown. Muito bem Primary health care Social and economic capacities I am fine Primary education and early childhood education Roads are not designed to facilitate inter-provincial Obrigado Children’s vulnerability to abuse and disasters We work to improve the social and economic capacity linkages nor connections between provinces, districts, Thank you Social and economic capacities of households so that they can become more resilient and localities. Interior roads flood and tend to be Até logo to shocks—such as the loss of a job, death of a impassable during the rainy season. Many districts, Goodbye Primary health care family member, or natural disaster—and plan for the particularly those that are poor and hard to reach, lack future. Through this program we have implemented electricity, telephone, and banking facilities. This program helps to improve access to primary health two chicken-raising projects in Magaisa and Jogo care—from supporting the construction of health communities, which are benefiting 47 families. The Child centers to opening boreholes in villages and providing Savings (Aflatoun) project, which has been launched in safe drinking water.