Whenever the year comes to an end, we stop to reflect and look at what we have achieved in a year that always ends up being too short for all that we want to do. Anxious to do more, it is now time to admire what we have accomplished with wonder and share with gratitude with you friends, donours and partners, who have allowed us to go further.
What are after all these Little Gestures we do in Mozambique?
- Little Gestures that take 11’500 food baskets to 630 families of 960 sponsored children;
- Did you know we have distributed 57 tons of rice and 35 tons of flour, amongst other basic staples?
- Little Gestures that cooked more than 390 thousand meals for 2388 children every school day, for many their only hot meal of the day;
- Did you know we cooked 39 tons of rice and 29 tons of beans?
- Little Gestures that allowed 118 children to take their first steps in pre-school education, for a total of 205 children across all our pre-schools;
- Did you know this year we were able to build a new kitchen at the Pre-School Santa Catarina?
- Little Gestures that allowed 13 young adults to join our higher studies scholarships program, of which 77% are female;
- Did you know 2 of our students graduated in 2023?
At A Little Gesture, we celebrate December and the year end with one story per day of each child. Because our mission is best pursued child by child, life by life. Because each of the numbers has a story behind it. Like Alberto, orphaned from both parents, president of the school arts club who dreams to be a Portuguese teacher. Or Tina, HIV-positive, attending our HIV-day center while she studies at the Santa Luisa de Marilac school. Or Graça and Amélia, raised by their mother and her fighter mentality, who made them grow with the will to study and have a better life.
This year, which was special to me as I visited Mozambique after a few years away, I could observe again close by the power of Little Gestures. More than anything, I could see the young generation that is emerging into adulthood and really having a different life. Like José, João, Gil. Each with their life permeated by independence and no doubt marked by the existence of Little Gestures. Each with the right to their own dream.
Every day, the A Little Gesture team in Portugal, the UK and Mozambique seeks to do more for these children. For each of their gestures, I thank them profoundly. We close the year feeling proud for our children and young adults, with a feeling of gratitude for our donours, happy that we can make a difference.
The children grow, the dreams as well. We want and know we can do more. And we will in 2024!