Xai-Xai

Cleaning the oven.

The group that we visited in Gaza province, north of Maputo, was called UDEBA Lab and they are really involved in a lot of good work that supports basic education. From helping adults or youths finish their schooling to making it easier for kids to get distance learning and providing orphaned children a safe place to live in the community, they have a big impact where they work.

Helene had made contact with the directors before we arrived and they treated us like gold, even sending a driver to pick us up in Maputo early the other morning so that we wouldn't have to take the bus.

The first place that we stopped on our way to the town of Xai-Xai proper was a small bakery that had been constructed by UDEBA Lab and then handed over to a group of local activists who used the place to train youth. The woman who runs it showed us around a bit and then when the director of UDEBA arrived, even gave us a welcome speech, a copy of which she let us keep... very touching.


Dough rising.


The welcoming speech that the bread lady gave us.


Bread oven's fire.

Since we had many other projects to visit that day, we had to move on pretty quickly, which was unfortunate only because it meant not being able to try the fresh bread...


I love the contrast of the different directions/dress here. On the left, one of the leaders of UDEBA, on the right, the boss of the bakery.

Our next stop was the same community that was making use of and staffing the bakery. Located on a sandy track just off the main road, the village is a rough collection of round thatch huts and small rectangular buildings also made of reeds. The couple of nicer cinder block homes were build by UDEBA for orphans to live in and we all trooped into them to check things out. In the first, we met one woman who could only pull herself around by her arms because her legs were crippled (polio?). She lives in the sparse space with a small boy in tattered clothes who promptly got lectured by everyone in the group (except us) for not going to school. Man, did he look down afterward. He'll probably go back to his studies just to avoid another surprise haranguing... witnessed by two Canadians who appeared out of nowhere in a 4x4...


Thatched houes in Gaza... (no, not THAT Gaza)


New house for the orphans.


New sleeping quarters in the new house for a couple of orphans in the community. At least now they have a cement floor and a door that will lock. Not much of a bed, though, is it?

Another of our stops was a local school, where a brand new 4 classroom building was going up. The contrast between that edifice and the sketchy thatch construct that has been the school up until now was striking. We met the principal and she was visibly proud of what she will get when the workers finish up with the last bits of construction.



A worker puts the finishing touches on a new classroom.

After that, it was off to yet another school, this time one for adult learners in a different community. Once again, the principal/director came out to meet us; he was exceptionally friendly and gave us a nice tour of the building and of the bakery/ brick-making works that sat nearby. As a special treat, he had his group of students sing us some songs of thanks for visiting and then a goodbye tune that also featured some dancing. It was kind of surreal... like being in some crazy African musical. As we left, we were also given some hollowed out gourds (don't worry Denise, there are no giant ants in them...) that they used as musical instruments. You play them by blowing across the holes -- like you would on a beer bottle...



The adult learners sing us a good-bye song... it was like being in a musical...

With our various visits for that day finished, the UDEBA guys dropped us off at a hotel on the beach, some 10km away. The weather was not that great so it was kind of dreary and depressing... luckily, later in the day, the sun came out and transformed the place. The warm Indian Ocean had some good surf going and there was a nice breeze. We ate at the hotel's restaurant and learned another lesson in Mozambican "patience" before hitting the sack in anticipation of another day of visiting projects...


Sunset at Xai-Xai beach on the Indian Ocean.