Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

New Hospital and School for Town of Vinho

Sep 5, 2007 - Gorongosa National Park

The Gorongosa National Park restoration project recently presented new hospital and school buildings to local officials in the town of Vinho. The project funded and oversaw the construction of the buildings, working in cooperation with Nhamatanda District health and education officials as well as local community leaders, to help Vinho improve the basic community services it provides to area residents.

The Gorongosa National Park restoration project is committed to improving the lives of the communities around the Park through employment, community empowerment, and improved access to education and health care services. Many employees working at the Park's main Chitengo camp live in Vinho, which is located just across the Pungue River from Chitengo.

As many as 500 students in Vinho have been attending school in a one-room building made of sticks and rocks in overcrowded conditions. For healthcare, residents of Vinho have had to travel across the Pungue River to access services at the small, basic health clinic in Chitengo.

The new hospital building boasts two examination rooms, a lab, and a four-bed maternity ward, plus a large waiting area for patients. Housing facilities for four nurses who will serve the facility were also built.

The school facilities consist of two school buildings, one with three classrooms and the other with two classrooms and a computer room, and housing for teachers.

Construction of the new buildings was done by a Mozambican company, who trained and employed local community residents for the project. The Park provided a machine for onsite production of Hydrofoam blocks. These blocks reduce construction costs by enabling construction materials to be made onsite with local raw materials (only 5% cement is required), and by not requiring mortar for construction.

"The community workers have been very proud to be associated with this project, proud to be learning new skills, and proud to be helping provide their community with a better school and hospital," said Luis Filipe Leboeuf, Head of the Infrastructure Department at Gorongosa National Park, who oversaw the construction of the buildings in Vinho. "Their hard work is what has made this project a success".

Now that the buildings are complete, the hospital and school will be run by the respective Ministries (Health and Education) of Nhamatanda District. The Gorongosa National Park restoration project will provide equipment and the District will provide staff and supplies for both facilities.