Mwenje weruponeso association, loosely translated to "light of salvation" in english & "a luz de salvacao" in portuguese is a community based organization (CBO). Our mission is to support and assist orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Macate district, together with their families. We strive to help them improve their chances to a better life now and a constructive future through initiating community sustainable small projects.
Our vision is to building a better future for the needy and disadvantaged children, regardless of their gender, race, religion or political affiliation.
Mwenje weruponeso was formed in 2005, a time when Manica province was faced with a considerable increase in orphans & children exposed to vulnerability due to the effects of HIV/AIDS and other disasters. The government's capacity to deal with the problem was limited and the best solution came through community-based coordination and support.
Mwenje weruponeso ( reg. No.129/gdg/ga/2009), was officially registered in 2009 in Manica province, Mozambique as a non-profit making association with self-rights, administrative and financial autonomy. Our head office is located in Zembe administrative post, in Macate district in Manica province.
In pursuance of the above ideals, the association is working with communities to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and build community capacity to address the needs of OVC.
Our vision is to building a better future for the needy and disadvantaged children, regardless of their gender, race, religion or political affiliation.
Mwenje weruponeso was formed in 2005, a time when Manica province was faced with a considerable increase in orphans & children exposed to vulnerability due to the effects of HIV/AIDS and other disasters. The government's capacity to deal with the problem was limited and the best solution came through community-based coordination and support.
Mwenje weruponeso ( reg. No.129/gdg/ga/2009), was officially registered in 2009 in Manica province, Mozambique as a non-profit making association with self-rights, administrative and financial autonomy. Our head office is located in Zembe administrative post, in Macate district in Manica province.
In pursuance of the above ideals, the association is working with communities to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and build community capacity to address the needs of OVC.
The association’s main activities conducted under the provision of providing care and support are here under outlined:
advocacy and networking: creating awareness of the rights of children
advocacy and networking: creating awareness of the rights of children
- capacity-building: training programmes on child development, HIV/ AIDS prevention, care and support and , income-generating activities,
- HIV/AIDS: home-based care using trained community volunteers; provision of material support (mattresses, mosquito nets, etc)
- spiritual counseling;
- running a preschool and lower primary school; the school is currently educating 43 pupils, (OVC) and helping the orphans in the community who attend school elsewhere. The
- Mwenje weruponeso has started to build what is intended to be a boarding school on its site.
- · provision of counseling services and psycho social support to the vulnerable children:
- · assist child-headed families to establish home gardens that require little water, little labour and money so as to have food security.
With the support from donors such as: voluntary service overseas (VSO), adventist development agency (ADRA), Africare, and partnerships with the civil society organizations (CSOS) the association has been able to accomplish great deeds in helping communities to mitigate the impact of HIV/ AIDS .
Though Mwoyo weruponeso works to provide help with the many components needed for holistic care of OVC, we receive no government funding and we rely on the generous support from the above mentioned organizations. Our united efforts are welcome by the community and relieve some of the burden and yet still the number of orphans and vulnerable children is persistently increasing due to the ripple effects of HIV/AIDS pandemic in Manica province. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has made the situation worse by increasing poverty levels. As a result many children and in particular those orphaned by HIV/AIDS drop out of school as they lack either school fees or uniforms. Moreover they have nobody to provide them with food and so many engage in antisocial behavior at an early age. Teen age girls from OVC families are more at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIS), HIV/AIDS or getting pregnant at an early age. Some engage in child labor in order to meet their basic needs. The result is that school enrollment among OVCs is very low, reducing their chances to a better future. There is therefore an urgent need to ensure that more OVC, especially those who are vulnerable as a result of the hiv and aids pandemic are able to access essential social services for their survival and development.
Though Mwoyo weruponeso works to provide help with the many components needed for holistic care of OVC, we receive no government funding and we rely on the generous support from the above mentioned organizations. Our united efforts are welcome by the community and relieve some of the burden and yet still the number of orphans and vulnerable children is persistently increasing due to the ripple effects of HIV/AIDS pandemic in Manica province. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has made the situation worse by increasing poverty levels. As a result many children and in particular those orphaned by HIV/AIDS drop out of school as they lack either school fees or uniforms. Moreover they have nobody to provide them with food and so many engage in antisocial behavior at an early age. Teen age girls from OVC families are more at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIS), HIV/AIDS or getting pregnant at an early age. Some engage in child labor in order to meet their basic needs. The result is that school enrollment among OVCs is very low, reducing their chances to a better future. There is therefore an urgent need to ensure that more OVC, especially those who are vulnerable as a result of the hiv and aids pandemic are able to access essential social services for their survival and development.
Our organizational structure
The Executive Committee
iMwenje weruponeso is a membership organization headed by an executive board. The executive board formulates organizational policy, monitors and evaluates membership and programme activities. According to article 15 of the CBO’s constitution, the annual general meeting convenes once a year to elect new executive committee members. The committee comprises of chairperson, vice person, secretary, financial secretary, and assistant financial secretary members who are democratically elected from paid up members.
Below the executive committee, there are two committees namely;
· The financial and planning committee whose major task is to oversee the finances of the CBO, planning and management of the association's income generation micro-projects;
· The management committee, whose major task is to implement the decisions and plans made by the executive board. This is one responsible for the execution of the project planned activities. This is headed by the coordinator who deals directly with the volunteers, child care givers, child protection committees and local leaders. Due unstable funding and lack of reliable sources for income, the association has only volunteers who execute the planned activities with support of small allowances for facilitation and upkeep in the course of implementation of these activities.
Currently the CBO has volunteers made up of 25 females and 13 males.
· The education committee, this is responsible running of the pre-school and the elementary school. It is headed by the director. There are five teachers who are also rendering services to the school on a voluntary basis, although once a while they receive some small allowances in case when the association generates some income from one of its income generation activities. Plans are underway to solicit financial support for teachers’ welfare from the district directorate of education.
The Executive Committee
iMwenje weruponeso is a membership organization headed by an executive board. The executive board formulates organizational policy, monitors and evaluates membership and programme activities. According to article 15 of the CBO’s constitution, the annual general meeting convenes once a year to elect new executive committee members. The committee comprises of chairperson, vice person, secretary, financial secretary, and assistant financial secretary members who are democratically elected from paid up members.
Below the executive committee, there are two committees namely;
· The financial and planning committee whose major task is to oversee the finances of the CBO, planning and management of the association's income generation micro-projects;
· The management committee, whose major task is to implement the decisions and plans made by the executive board. This is one responsible for the execution of the project planned activities. This is headed by the coordinator who deals directly with the volunteers, child care givers, child protection committees and local leaders. Due unstable funding and lack of reliable sources for income, the association has only volunteers who execute the planned activities with support of small allowances for facilitation and upkeep in the course of implementation of these activities.
Currently the CBO has volunteers made up of 25 females and 13 males.
· The education committee, this is responsible running of the pre-school and the elementary school. It is headed by the director. There are five teachers who are also rendering services to the school on a voluntary basis, although once a while they receive some small allowances in case when the association generates some income from one of its income generation activities. Plans are underway to solicit financial support for teachers’ welfare from the district directorate of education.
Past and current experiences with receiving and managing funds from other agencies or foundations.
Initially, the association used to raise funds from locally available resources especially through the sale of agricultural produce, and to some extent from membership fees. As the demands for services increased beyond the capacity of volunteers, we received support from the following international development partners:
A) Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) a british based NGO whose continued financial support has enabled the association to complete the preschool, organize training workshops for HIV/AIDS, psycho-social support for child care givers (volunteers), set up a horticulture farming project and, poultry project for broilers.
B) Adventist development agency (ADA), this financed the digging and installation of the borehole for the school in 2010.
C) the president’s emergency plan for aids relief (PEPFAR) united states international agency for development, (USAID) which assisted us with an input grant in 2010.
D) Belgian embassy which gave us a small grant in 2010
E) Africare which assisted the school with instructional and scholastic materials.
Initially, the association used to raise funds from locally available resources especially through the sale of agricultural produce, and to some extent from membership fees. As the demands for services increased beyond the capacity of volunteers, we received support from the following international development partners:
A) Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) a british based NGO whose continued financial support has enabled the association to complete the preschool, organize training workshops for HIV/AIDS, psycho-social support for child care givers (volunteers), set up a horticulture farming project and, poultry project for broilers.
B) Adventist development agency (ADA), this financed the digging and installation of the borehole for the school in 2010.
C) the president’s emergency plan for aids relief (PEPFAR) united states international agency for development, (USAID) which assisted us with an input grant in 2010.
D) Belgian embassy which gave us a small grant in 2010
E) Africare which assisted the school with instructional and scholastic materials.
Funds from these development agencies are strictly entered into the proper books of accounts when received. Separate bank accounts in the names of these projects are opened to cater for each respective project according to the financial regulation of each donor and for transparency and accountability. Both the executive board and the financial management committee exercise budgetary control over project finances. This is exercised through the comparison of expenses estimated in the budget with actual expenses incurred during the period. Books of accounts are audited regularly through internal. After auditing the project accounts, monthly, quarterly and annual reports are submitted to the donors and those who have stake interests in the projects.