AFRICA/ANGOLA - Technical training and social-health care to help people impoverished by two decades of war

Friday, 30 April 2004

AFGHANISTAN

2024-04-22
Commemoration of the victims of the Easter attacks: Catholic Church wants to initiate the beatification process of their martyrdom

2024-02-07
Manipur, torn by conflict, tries to reconnect the threads of dialogue

2023-12-04
The Franciscan Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Jinan celebrates the 60th anniversary of Sacrosanctum Concilium, to continue walking on the paths opened by the Second Vatican Council

2023-10-16
Prayer for the reconciliation of the peoples of Israel and Palestine

2022-02-24
Integrating refugees into society: the commitment of the Pro Bambini Association of Kabul

2021-12-18
The Barnabites, with their hearts in Kabul: "Pray for Afghanistan"

Rome (Fides Service) - Since 1998 and Italian association of volunteers for development Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo VIS, has run a programme of technical training and social assistance and health-care in Luanda to help the country lift itself out of the state of prostration due to impoverishment
VIS, a member of the Salesian family, works in the fields of voluntary work and cooperation. The Salesians have been present in Luanda since 1981 and with their help VIS offers 12 technical training courses, 6 formation courses for formation staff, assistance at 1 social centre and 1 medical centre.
In Luanda VIS operates in the town of Sambizanga, in a densely populated district of the outskirts where most of the people are immigrants from rural areas including many children and young people who come to find work to support their families at home. The district has neither water nor sewers and the people live in makeshift shacks of metal and plastic sheeting and wood for the luckier ones. To make things worse during the rain season the area is swamped while for the other five months of the year it suffers from drought.
In view of the situation, emergency programmes of health care and education have been started. Three medical outposts and a health-care centre have been opened to deal with minor infections and diagnose more serious cases to send to specialised structures. In the field of education VIS has opened four basic schooling centres for children, adolescents and young people and plans a course for adults as well.
There is also a project to continue the emergency plan to enable 800 people, mostly children and adolescents to attend basic school classes, 60 people to receive daily medical care and 300 to use services at a job-centre. There are also plans to offer formation for teachers and course for nurses to guarantee the continuation of the project.
Thanks to this programme the people of Sambizanga municipality will enjoy improved living conditions and more opportunities for access to basic instruction, health care and the work market.
Women and minors are the most involved. Good part of activity of education and prevention is addressed to the maternal and infant sector. Women in fact are the ones who care for the sick, the family hygiene and hand on traditional medical cures. (AP) (30/4/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:36; Parole:464)