At Anglican Overseas Aid, we believe in nurturing hope and sustaining life through practical and holistic community support. Our Abundant Life program has already transformed lives in Nampula by equipping communities with essential knowledge on family planning, nutrition, and disease prevention. Through this initiative, we've seen firsthand how empowering individuals with these tools leads to healthier families and stronger communities.
The Abundant Life program is critical in Mozambique, particularly in areas like Nampula and Cabo Delgado, which bear the marks of historical conflicts and poverty. This initiative tackles severe issues like malnutrition and malaria by educating communities on nutrition, disease prevention, and sustainable farming. It empowers locals with knowledge and tools for long-term resilience, helping to break cycles of poverty and improve health outcomes across generations, making it essential for fostering a self-sustaining future. This initiative is vital not just for saving lives today but for securing healthier generations tomorrow.
Today, the need to extend this program to other regions is more urgent than ever. With over half of the children in these areas suffering from malnutrition and the ongoing threat of malaria, our mission is to deliver the same successful interventions that have dramatically reduced mortality rates and improved life quality in Nampula.
Infant mortality
In Mozambique, an appalling 1 in 14 children die before their 5th birthday.
Many preventable diseases contribute to high rates of infant mortality, including malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and HIV. Communities have had no training in how to prevent such diseases. The importance of using soap to prevent germs and the use of mosquito nets to prevent Malaria has not been communicated. Consequently, the health of the youngest suffers.
Your donation will ensure every child survives beyond their fifth birthday by spreading knowledge about cooking nutritious porridge, using mosquito nets, and practicing good hygiene.
Malnutrition
In Mozambique, 41% of children under five years are chronically malnourished. In Nampula, it is a horrifying 55%, and in Cabo Delgado, 52%.
High levels of poverty, persistent nature of food insecurity and myths about what children can and can’t eat contribute to poor nutritional levels in children. Malnutrition leads to further health problems and developmental delays, which can have lifelong consequences.
Your donation today will provide communities with information to identify and combat malnutrition in children. Your donation will ensure farmers are equipped and educated to grow sweet potato crops so that the surrounding community will have access to a nutritious source of food.
Maternal health
In Mozambique, a devastating 1 in 8 women die due to pregnancy-related causes.
Many factors contribute to the high levels of maternal deaths in Mozambique, including cultural barriers - where trust is placed upon traditional medicine above trained medical staff, distance to health services, lack of medicines, and poor conditions of health facilities all play a part.
Your donation today will ensure families know the benefits of attending pre and post-natal medical appointments as well as the importance of having a trained medical professional present for the birth. Your donation will work with health centres to ensure they are equipped with all required to support a mother during her labour.
Antonio and his wife Maria faced unimaginable hardships early in their marriage.
Antonio and his wife Maria, living within a community deeply rooted in traditional beliefs, faced the heart-wrenching loss of four of their nine children to preventable diseases such as diarrhea, anemia, and malnutrition. The couple initially relied on traditional medicines, influenced by local customs skeptical of modern medical practices, which tragically failed to prevent their children's deaths.
The course of their lives changed dramatically in 2009 when Antonio encountered the "Abundant Life Program" at a local market. His engagement deepened in 2011 after witnessing the program's benefits first-hand when it helped his aunt combat untreated HIV. Through t he program, Antonio gained vital knowledge on disease prevention, nutrition, and the critical importance of family planning. These teachings not only transformed his family's health and lifestyle but also sparked significant improvements throughout his community.
Today, Antonio is a proud father to five healthy children, each with their own dreams and ambitions. He expresses immense gratitude for the program's role in educating and freeing his community from the grip of harmful traditions. Hopeful for a futue where ongoing health education and services continue to uplift his community, Antonio remains a testament to the power of change and the enduring strength of informed care and compassion.
A Prayer for Mozambique
Lord, we thank you for the dedicated volunteers in Mozambique. May they effectively advocate for their communities and share crucial health information.
We lift up babies and children; please shield them from illness and grant them the ability to thrive in good health.
Mighty God, we implore Your protection over the women in Mozambique. May there be widespread acceptance of child spacing, enabling mothers and their babies to live healthy lives.
We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen