Escolinha of Hope

• The Escolinha de Esperança (‘Little School of Hope’, or ‘School of Hope for Little Children’) has existed since 2008. It is a pre-school in Quelimane, Mozambique, for children who are orphans, or from disadvantaged families unable to care for them. If necessary, the Escolinha arranges for the child to live nearby in the home of a volunteer care-giver.
• The original school was destroyed by flooding in 2012. Canadian students fund-raised to build a new and secure school.
• At present (March 2021) there are 146 pupils enrolled. The children go to school half-days, with one class in the morning and one in the afternoon. There are five full-time teachers, and five other volunteer teachers’ aides.
• The children learn basic mathematics and basic spoken and written Portuguese. Most of them are from family environments where no Portuguese is spoken, yet Portuguese is the language of instruction in school.
• The children also learn basic hygiene and life skills. They receive school supplies, clean clothing, and school uniforms. They learn how to learn, and develop self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Once they are enrolled in the primary grades of the public school, teachers there report that these children who received a head-start from the Escolinha perform better even than other pupils who come from more advantaged families.
• Funds from Canada pay for school supplies, teachers’ salaries, and one nutritious meal per day, because a child who hasn’t eaten can’t learn.