MOZ 07 - MARATANE REFUGEE CAMP

Conditions in the Maratane refugee camp are increasingly precarious. All this is due, on the one hand, to the global immigration situation and, on the other, to the decrease in international aid. Returning home, for most refugees, is impossible due to the continuous presence of armed clashes and conflicts.

The Comboni presence in the camp began in 2003 in collaboration with the Scalabrinian Fathers. In the camp we have a multipurpose salon, it works as a Portuguese school for young people and adults, it serves for training meetings, training of leaders, and meetings of various kinds.

On the edge of the field and even inside, there are also Mozambicans, most of them farmers, and the signs of poverty are also evident in them. There is a good collaboration between the refugees and the locals, they attend the same school, the same hospital and sell, both, various products.

What is lacking is the regular distribution of food, and the quality has also decreased, as the PMA (World Food Program) also helps the refugees of Cabo Delgado, present in various camps in Mozambique. The project aims to support people in the camp through the purchase of food, medicines and school supplies, support for small family support projects and help with documents.

The project coordinator regularly visits the refugee camp and carries out an important work of assistance and mediation in this difficult context, paying particular attention to women and the promotion of the values of life and solidarity.