How beautiful the city is… with the escolinha on a Trip!
On August 15, the Escolinha of Matola in Mozambique took 90 children on a trip through the city and to the ocean. For many of the little ones living on the outskirts, it was their very first time. The initiative was born within the Nutritional Center of the DREAM Program: 583 children cared for daily, systematic nutritional monitoring, medical care, and a hot meal every day.
August 15 was a special day: 90 children from the Escolinha, together with mothers and grandparents, set out at dawn in their best clothes to discover the city and the sea — which many had never seen before. The itinerary included symbolic places familiar to the collective memory: the market, the train station, the parks, the seaside promenade, and the port with its ships. At the Railway Museum, the children became “travelers” among historic trains, songs, and laughter. The day ended at the Jardim dos Namorados with a generous snack and a visit to the playground: freedom to run, marvel, and share. Upon their return, besides family members, the children were also welcomed by their peers from the Nutritional Center, drawn in by the celebration. Grandfather Vicente’s words summed up the meaning of the day: “Thank you for giving our children the chance to discover that the world is much bigger than the one we are used to living in.” This is the heart of the Escolinha and the Center: preserving the tradition of care — meals, play, and education shared with families.
But what is the Escolinha of Matola and what does it do every day?
It is the free preschool created within the Nutritional Center of the DREAM Program, which today welcomes 583 children into a growth path that combines nutrition, education, and health. Since May 2023, a systematic nutritional monitoring system has been in place (weight, height, age, and sex), supported by a digital platform and nutritionists in Italy, to detect early cases of acute and chronic malnutrition. The Center provides medical check-ups in collaboration with the nearby DREAM health center, deworming campaigns that have reached over 500 children, and above all, the daily meal: in two years, more than 330,000 hot meals have been served with a varied menu (rice, chicken, vegetables, eggs, fish, fruit). Alongside nutrition, there are many educational activities for the little ones (songs, games, gymnastics), the Saturday “School of Peace” with literacy and school support, and a tailoring and sewing school for the older children.