ACOORD...

I went to my original project today, ACOORD (Associação de Cooperação Para o Desenvolvimiento). Everyone is so friendly, it’s a lovely atmosphere. I spent the morning planning my timetable for September (the most organisation I’ve seen yet in Mozambique) with Calisto, the director. 

I am going to work Tuesdays and Thursdays and I will teach 10 of the members English from 9-11. Unlike my CELTA course I have no interactive white board, no library full of resources and no course book; I do however have an American Language course book meant for teaching soldiers English. Lesson 2, to teach ‘should’ is titled, ‘Should I go and help Sgt. So and So fix the tank?’ This could be interesting… 

In the afternoons I will translate documents and work on fundraising strategies for the project. They asked if I had any fundraising experience and I told them, ‘Yes, a little’. I was then introduced to the office as not only their new English teacher and translator but also their new fundraising guru.

As I was a bit worried that I would simply be working in the office, I asked if I could go and visit some of their projects. ACOORD works in both Maputo Province and Inhambane Province, as they believe that although there is great poverty in the city, there are areas of Mozambique where help and opportunities are less readily available, in the north for example. Much of the agricultural land in the north receives little to no rain every year and the roads are not good so access to the south or the larger cities is not easy; ACOORD therefore believe it is important to take the help to these areas. 

Next week I am going to Moamba, about an hour south of Maputo, to attend a session on ‘Gender, HIV and AIDS’ and on the 27^th I will attend another session on ‘Negative cultural practices and Kutchinga’. Kutchinga is a Mozambican cultural tradition that means if the husband of a married woman dies, his brother has the right to marry her which can often lead to the transmission of HIV. I am really glad I can attend some of the sessions as it will allow me to see what the project is actually involved with. I can also go with Calisto when he goes north to Inhambane and visit one of the agricultural projects. So all in all, I’m much happier about starting. 

On another note, I have compiled a useful list of things ‘I wish I had brought with me’ that I haven’t so I will be even more prepared for Honduras. I have also compiled a list of the most useful/my favourite items. For anyone that is interested, they are: my child’s Timex watch, my Kindle, my Netbook, my Travelex Cash Passport card (no link to your bank account), my vitamins, my perfume (I left this behind when I went to South America and regretted it) and my Toms. 

Finally, I have started to plan my trips out of the city and I have scheduled so far (everyone laughs as this is not the Mozambican way, but a girl can only change so much): Ponta D’Ouro, Tofo, Jo’Burg and I am very excited. I am not sure how everyone else feels about my organised fun but if they want any peace, they will have to accept my highlighted itinerary with huge enthusiasm. 

Sorry for the lack of pictures, I will try harder to add more and try to cut down on the essays!