A wonderful SW Idaho evening was had by many supporters of Gorongosa and the Boise Zoo in June. The Zoo after hours is a delightful place to stroll.
We were there to support the development work being done in and around Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. Boise has numerous connections to Gorongosa through BSU, Zoo Boise, the Carr Foundation, and many Rotarians in District 5400.
Boise Sunrise (along with a global grant from RI) has provided two trucks (one wore out and needed to be replaced) for mobile health clinics for the ~250K citizens in the neighboring villages around the perimeter of the park. The development model from the Carr Foundation (C/F) has the villages surrounding Gorongosa taking care of security instead of armed guards. This model appears to be working as planned.
Last night’s gathering/celebration was meant to raise funding for preschools. A key new discovery from our talented and motivated partners at C/F is that long term sustainability of this development work is closely related to education of the youngsters in these villages. The net impact of a healthy meal as well as instruction (through play) in the Portuguese language and socializing these youngsters in preparation for school is surprisingly large and central to the cultural stability that is sought with this development model. Individual schools look like they can be built for ~$50,000 USD and the donors get to name the school. The project hopes to build ~100 schools and there are already 4-5 in place validating this development model. Boise Sunrise is well on the way to funding the next preschool.
It was a fun night supporting a project that has been proven to be a big deal. Getting these youngsters off to a strong start will result in widespread positive impact for Mozambique in the years to come. It is deeply satisfying to be a tangible part of that story. THANK YOU to all of the donors helping make this school a reality.
Might your club or a combination of D5400 clubs be interested in building a preschool in SE Africa?
If so, please feel free to contact John Lodal at jnlodal@gmail.com to learn more.
