In Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, there is a high poverty rate among the population, which inevitably has a significant impact on families in the most peripheral areas. We are in the Benfica and Mafalala neighborhoods, where the idea was born to reach out to parents and guardians of children whose education sometimes takes a back seat to other priorities, such as economic subsistence.

Parenting education fits into this context and aims to promote conscious education based on mutual respect within families, always with an eye on the well-being and development of the child. The AGAPE project starts in 2022 with David, a national volunteer who studies at the Faculty of Social Work and has a strong desire to improve the lives of children. This activity is specifically part of the Long Distance Support project, which involves several families each year (25 children in total) and includes two other important areas: school support and the distribution of basic necessities.

In this context, David and the volunteers who arrive from Italy every year meet weekly with parents and guardians at AVIMAS and Machaka, two associations working with women, young people, and children for the development of their communities in Maputo. During the sessions, there is an exchange of knowledge and experiences between parents, grandparents, and guardians of the beneficiary children through various activities. They talk about health, hygiene, interaction, and affection for their children and act out possible risk situations that allow them to understand what they have learned theoretically in a more immediate and effective way. Talking to the women of the AVIMAS association, they tell us that these moments of sharing are an important learning opportunity for them and have allowed them to improve their parenting style at home with their children.

This project has enabled many families to find a point of reference and constant support within their community. Despite this, it is not easy to see the long-term impact that these activities can have. Talking to David, he tells us about some of the difficulties encountered over the years: “Establishing a friendly relationship with families that allowed us to talk openly within the group was difficult, but it was even more difficult to achieve active and consistent participation in the early days, as it was a new activity for the parents.” He goes on to say that, nevertheless, there have been many positive aspects and that over the last year, the work has seen increasingly active participation from parents, who have strengthened the bonds between them and their own skills by supporting each other. In Machaka, for example, each week the participants collect a symbolic amount of money that is used in cases where some of them are experiencing particularly difficult situations, such as bereavement or health problems.

Two weeks ago, visits began to the families of children supported through Long Distance Support: parents and guardians welcome David and Civil Service volunteer Irene into their homes to update them on the conditions in which the family lives and the health of their children. The houses where the beneficiaries live are not the same as those we are used to in Italy and are mainly built of concrete blocks and sheet metal that divide their courtyard from that of their neighbors. When we sit down with the mothers to conduct our interviews, many of them tell us that their homes often lack water and electricity for several days due to economic difficulties. Furthermore, their children do not always eat three meals a day; many of them eat two meals at most, and some only one. But from the smiles on these children’s faces, it would not seem that their living conditions are mostly unfavorable.

The work carried out in Maputo shows that big ideas can come from small things, and it was in the backyard of Papa Albino’s house in Mafalala that David had another insight. Now, his dream is to build a playground for children who do their homework and learn through play every day in a neighborhood where young people often end up on the streets. Grandpa Albino has decided to share his home with the community, allowing his neighbors, parents who are busy providing for their families, to have a safe space for their children.

There are many ideas still to be realized in the coming years, and at the top of the list is David’s dream that, with the support of AGAPE and its volunteers, he will be able to continue to contribute to the development of these children by promoting a healthy and responsible education. “It is good to live in your country, but it is even better to help your country live,” said John Kennedy, and this represents our mission and that of David.