Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

GNP distributes shoes to disadvantaged children

Jul 12, 2009 - Gorongosa National Park

The Department of Human Development of Gorongosa National Park (GNP) recently distributed 41 pairs of shoes to needy students of Vunduzi elementary school, Vunduzi Administrative Post, in Gorongosa district, part of areas in the vicinity of the Park. 

Of the 41 beneficiary children, 28 are orphans, 13 orphans with no father, 5 with no mother and 10 with no parents.  There were 25 boys and 16 girls, with ages between 11 and 18.  They were selected from a group of 200 low-income, vulnerable families of the community of Sandjungira.  The process of selection was done by the local administrative structures in collaboration with authorities from the community.
 
The distribution of the footwear was held in the courtyard of the school mentioned above, on the 11th of June, 2009.  In addition to the 41 students befitting from the donation, the ceremony also included the head of Vunduzi Administration, Carlos Caminho Siwa; the director of the Vunduzi elementary school, Rui Rondinho; others professors and students as well as some staff from the Department of Human Development at GNP. 

Before the delivery of the donation, the director of the GNP Department of Human Development, Mateus Mutemba, did a short explanation about the origin and the purpose of this humanitarian gesture. 

He explained that the footwear to be distributed was a donation of an American girl, Kimmy Schwamb, who, with the help of her mother Stacey Schwamb, and with the participation of friends, organized a shoe collection party to support disadvantaged Mozambican children in the area surrounding Gorongosa National Park. 

He also communicated that the young girl took this initiative after seeing the condition of some needy boys on the documentary segment of the program "60 Minutes", on CBS News, televised on October 26th, 2008.  The program examined GNP and its restoration efforts developed by the joint management of the Park, the Carr Foundation and the Government of Mozambique as well as the social situation and unfavorable economic circumstances of some of the neighboring communities of the Park. 

Through the "shoe campaign" young Kimmy Schwamb and her family collected and paid the express transport of the 41 pairs of assorted footwear from the U.S.A. to Maputo, knowing GNP would identify the community that would benefit and would organize delivery to the beneficiaries.  All of the assisted children left pleased by the generous offering of Kimmy Schwamb, her family and friends. 


It should be remembered that the GNP Department of Human Development’s mission is to reinforce the connection between itself and the surrounding communities, aid and social promotion, health, and promoting environmental education and sustainable economic development for the communities living around the Park. 

Text and photos: Department of Human Development / Department of Communications
Gorongosa National Park