Zimpeto Youth and Community Housing Program

Everyone needs a place that they call home; a place where they and their families can live in safety and peace, in a community. We are grateful for the privilege of being able to come alongside both individuals and families and help them with housing. The situations are typically one of three.
 
When our young people who have lived at the centre for much if not all of their lives turn 18, Government regulations require that they must leave the centre.
 
It is always our first hope/choice whenever possible to reintegrate our children/youth with some form of family. This is a lengthy and detailed process and worth it all (http://irismin.ca/zimpeto-child-reintegration-program-maputo-mozambique)!
 
If the family has land, we can help by building an extra room for the home. Sometimes all that is needed to accommodate one more person living in a home is an indoor bathroom for the family, or a new roof to keep the rains out. If the home is in severe disrepair, we can help rebuild it.
 
For those youth that cannot be reintegrated before they turn 18, we must help them find a home. In the case of Antonio who works in our carpentry shop - he saved some money to buy land, and we supplemented this and built him a small house.

It is far better that we either renovate or build a home than see social welfare separate a family and unnecessarily remove children from the home because it isn't suitable. The photos of Dinez's house are a good example. Although he does not come from our centre, he is a great young man wanting/needing help up. Building him a small house on his land gives him hope and opportunity for the future.

                                                              [Dinez's before pictures...]

                                                           [Dinez's new house in progress.]

                                                                  [The finished project.]

                                  [Dinez being handed the key to his very own home!]

Similarly, as we discover widows and poor families in the community in need of help, we can either renovate rebuild to make their lives better. We are in the process now of helping one of our widows. As part of the support, we also arrange a pastoral visit encouraging folks to join a church and be part of the spiritual community. The Social Welfare team does follow-up visits to assess needs. so we can continue to provide caring support.