Vila Maninga Primary school began in 1991 with 90 children meeting under the shade of the large mango trees, one blackboard and a teacher.

It then progressed into the derelict shell of the old tobacco barn, then tents and then onto large rondavel classrooms. About 10 years ago, at the request of the Mozambican government education department, VM built a new primary school building which now has 8 classrooms.

Our school now has over 800 pupils learning in hot-seating arrangements and is the regional exam centre and a beacon school for the area. The school has just been refurbished; re-doing all the floors and doors etc. This is partly because of the huge use that the school experiences and partly because the quality of the materials that we built with then, although the highest standard available, could not cope with the daily wear and tear. We are delighted that the government education department now supports the 18 teachers we have at VM and most of them live in or around the project. The old rondavel classrooms are now used for a wide variety of activities at VM: vocational skills training such as sewing, knitting, crocheting, computers and Christian training events and church.

Many of our children at the Primary school walk to school from the surrounding villages and many walk from up to 12km away. For the youngest children (5-6 year olds) this is too far, especially as many haven’t had breakfast before. So the headmaster at the Primary school has liaised with the local parents and elders and they have set up 2 extra classrooms for 98 children about 6km from VM primary school close to the main road where many families live.

They have built a very basic shelter (see photo) but this will not survive when the rains come. Thus this year we are aiming to raise £25-30,000 to build 2 new classrooms about 6km from the VM Primary School which will educate up to 150 extra children. See photo of some of these children already meeting. Note the little child on front end right who is also caring for a little sibling whilst going to school. It is a tough life for so many children in Mozambique. Education is vital for their future.