Shoes and More in Nhambita Village

During the middle of our week in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, we left the park to visit Nhambita Village.  Our first stop was an agriculture project supported by the park.  We saw a demonstration garden where people learned how to do sustainable gardening.  It was done all by hand.  We listened to the men who ran the project while some of the women stood nearby.  Unfortunately, it had begun to rain (and we were supposed to be in the dry season) so we tried to listen attentively while at the same time attempting to keep dry.

The rain continued as we drove to our next stop.  People waved to us as we drove by.  The children were especially friendly.  These people live in extreme poverty; we are rich in comparison.  Rain formed huge puddles, ponds even, around the little houses.

 

When we finally arrived at the school some of us were drenched despite the ponchos we were given.  The canopies on our vehicles would collect water and then at times dump it on us through the open sides.  By the time we arrived, I looked like a drowned rat.  However, once we stopped and entered the school building, our attention was on the children. 

The school was not in session at this time.  We met with girls from the Girls Club.  We sat at the back of the classroom as they welcomed us.  An adult leader told us about the club and the girls.  The girls sang and danced for us.  We were delighted.  And then it was our turn.

We brought out the bags containing the shoes that grow.  The bag I had carried still had not arrived and neither had two other bags of shoes, but enough had arrived for us to hand out these amazing shoes.  The shoes, which were made in Nampa, Idaho, are designed to lengthen and widen as the child’s foot grows.  The girls quietly lined up for a pair of shoes.  I looked at their feet—they were either barefoot or they were wearing very thin, cheap flip flops.  We took turns handing out the shoes.  When it was my turn, I handed a pair of shoes to several shy girls with the most beautiful smiles.  For me, this was one of the highlights of our trip.  (For more information about these wonderful shoes, go to https://theshoethatgrows.org/.  Help distribute shoes to kids or make a donation.)

Once we left the school, we headed for the Community Education Center.  We received a short presentation about the center before sitting down to a delicious lunch.  There were people from the community present for lunch also.  After lunch we toured the center which includes dormitories.  One of my favorite spots was the area where they make honey.  We saw the hives and the small little building, which is more like a closet, where the honey is processed.  The honey is sold in the park so before we left Gorongosa, I bought a jar of this honey to bring home.  (And yes, it is delicious.)