Anthu Antendere (Antendere), meaning people of peace, is a community-based development organization that mobilizes funds to support children in the area of development, participation and protection. In 2015, Antendere received funding from the US Embassy in Mozambique and the local government to defend and disseminate the rights of children in Chemba District through radio and sports programs. Cur
rently Atendere has a vision to open a learning center in 2017. The center aims to develop the spirit of leadership in children and adults in Chemba to build off the community development work achieved through the U.S. This center will have three major program streams:
1. Antendere Children Development Program (ACDP) will contain pre-school programs and academic assistance program that will help children first to the tenth class in academic subjects of mathematics, English, Portuguese, both as Life Skills, ICT, music, sports and art for children and pre-primary school entrance age (usually 6 or 7 years old in Mozambique). The aim of the pre-school is to provide young children with equitable early learning opportunities to promote their overall positive growth and development while also preparing them to enter primary school at the appropriate age.
2. Antendere Vocational Courses (AVC) will provide vocational courses for young people 17-35 years old with three pilot courses: electricity, sewing and computer. The goal of this program is to build life skills and provide young people with economic opportunities while learning about how to build a peaceful society.
3. Antendere Family Program (AFP) This aims to support families to implement children’s rights through group activity sessions and family /community discussions. Background
Antendere wants to implement this project in Chemba district of Sofala province in Mozambique, because it is a remote district of the province without any facility resources. The district faces several problems such as high rate of dropouts in schools, early marriages, early pregnancy, young unemployed people with various addictions, as consequences there are many street kids, girls without any education in vulnerable situation in which many of them the last resort for their living is prostitution. The UNICEF report in 2014 shows following data about Mozambican children's situation:
a) Half of the children who start primary school do not finish it;
b) 5% of children have access to pre-school education, which reduces preparation for school;
c) 40% of children do not live with their parents;
d) In Mozambique, 36.9 percent of married girls aged 15 to 19 years of age have no education;
e) Data from the Demographic and Health Survey 2003 indicate that 18% of young women aged between 20 and 24 years, were already married before 15 years of age and 56 % before age 17;
Antendere learning Centre (ALC) with its three main programs (ACDP, AVC, AFP) will exist to build young skilled leader; minimize dropouts in schools; training young people in vocational courses; eliminate child abuse such as early marriages, sexual abuse and child labor. Impact
ALC project in the pilot phase will benefit two hundred children, youth and adults annually as follows:
Antendere Children Development Program (ACDP) - Pre-primary education 30; academic assistance 70. Antendere Vocational Course (AVC) - 50 divided by the same number of the 3 courses. (Electricity, sewing and computer skills). Antendere Family Program (AFP) - 50 adults will participate in discussions sessions of children's rights and gender equality. Evaluation
To assess the impact of the project, Antendere will have three different databases: the first will dictate the academic progress of the ACDP participants annually; the second will reveal the employment situation of AVC students within two years after the end of the course, the third and last will demonstrate the fulfillment of the children rights in families that will be participating in the AFP program annually. Educational programs of the center will also include the system of periodic evaluations to determine the assimilation of contents. Antendere governing board will supervise and inspect the center every month and whenever necessary. The supervisory board annually will reach to the general public with a questionnaire to get feedback from the community. Sustainability
All programs of ALC will be free of charge because the aim is to support the most vulnerable class of the community. As fund-raising strategy to continue with the project, Antendere will provide and charge the following services:
Computer Skills course will have a department that will provide internet cafe, typing, copying, scanning and printing documents. Sewing course will sew different types of clothing for community and uniforms for schools. Electricity will provide installation and concert of electrical damage services to community. The aim is not to compete with the market but it will be a way of fundraising to improve the community.
