Day 1 on base: fixed our own breakfast, did assigned cleaning and than had an orientation which included a walk through Nhamatanda. With a line of kids following us, we located the bakery (mud oven/rolls only), the hardware & grocery stores (6'x4' room with limited selection), several bars and my favorite: the movie theater (4 post covered with tarps with a TV blaring an action movie with about 15 kids sitting on 4' logs.
We also got some background information from a local man hired by AHAH, Orlundu: Two tribes live in this area and are separated by the highway. Locals still prefer witch doctors to certified doctors. Witch doctors use lots of herbs & potions and are identified when babies. Babies are also identified as being witches who can do harm to others. Only ancestors can keep witches from causing you harm. At age 9, boys are expected to have jobs & girls begin to learn "wifely" duties. Boys go to school till 18 and then marry...usually prearranged & sometimes even before they are born. Girls marry at 13–that's not a typo—and live with their in-laws for 6 months to prove they're capable of taking care of their husbands. Most have 4+ kids. Farming & fishing are the most common income. Only a handful of factories here.
Orlundu was proud to say that Mozambicans are happy and positive people. They just accept difficulties like cyclones saying you just have to pick up the pieces and move on.
The AHAH staff went over basics also. As always, I'm impressed with the base rules that allow things to run like a well oiled machine. But mostly, AHAH motto to go early, stay late and strengthen both the community and the volunteers. They do that so well. And AHAH has earned a 4* on Charity Navigator for 6 yrs achieving a perfect 100%. I'm so proud and humble to be a volunteer for five projects now.
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