Our Programmes
BLB has been involved in projects in Beira for many years, and aims to continue project support in the fields of:
- Education and Health
- Community and Civil Society
- Climate Change and Energy
- Culture and Sport
PROJECT FUNDING
Bristol Link with Beira’s partners in Beira prepare project proposals which we then submit to funding organisations within the UK.
Bristol Link with Beira has a GoFundMe page to build up a fund to respond quickly to any emergencies or disasters in Beira. This page can also be used for project specific, individual and/or recurring donations, which benefit from Gift Aid.
The people of Beira need our support now
Bristol Link with Beira were saddened to hear about the severe flooding in Beira, before and after February’s Cyclone Freddy. ADS, the NGO in Beira implementing our Girls Project has asked BLB to show solidarity with some of the 800 school-age girls in the suburbs, displaced and affected by the recent floods, by urgently providing funds for backpacks of essentials: school stationery, school plimsolls, underwear, and hygiene products. This will keep the girls in school, after they have lost their school materials and dignity due to the floods. Each full backpack will be about £45 in Beira, with the costs also contributing to the needs assessments, procurement and delivery. BLB is asking you, as supporters, to mark International Women’s Day on 8th March by contributing, adding the note ‘backpack’. BLB would like to fund at least 40 backpacks , as part of a larger project. Thank you in advance.
Featured Projects
Matacuane Primary School
Matacuane Primary School in Beira was badly destroyed during the Cyclone in March. Bristol Link with Beira has been working with the school for over 10 years and used its fundraising to repair toilets and install a drinking water stand after Cyclone Idai. A team of volunteers from REACT Emergency Response spent 3 weeks in Beira supervising construction works. This year we have purchased equipment for their staff room.
Amai Mussanhane
ACTSA (Action for Southern Africa) supported the women’s organisation Amai Mussanhane to procure premises to provide a secure environment for its work with children, especially orphans and vulnerable children; and rental income. Following the cyclone in 2019, BLB faciltated finance for Team Rubicon to renovate their building. During Covid, to make facemasks for vulnerable families, BLB provided materials and sewing machines which provide a long term resource for income generation.
Women & Girls Promoting Change
AMPDC (Associação de Mulheres para a Promoção do Desenvolvimento Comunitário), financed by the Hilden Trust, have set up Women’s Legal Committees to address GBV in Manga, and held classes in literacy, sewing and savings for vulnerable women. They can now sign documents and read phone messages adding “no-one will be able to deceive us now”. One of the women in the sewing class said “I can ask a local tailor for a job, and have an opportunity to support my children.”
Reproductive Sexual Health for Women & Girls
ADS (Associação para o Desenvolvimento Social), financed by the Coles-Medlock Foundation, engage young women as mentors in women’s health. ADS share knowledge about the dangers of sexual violence and early pregnancy; protection against early pregnancy, reproductive health, sexual and reproductive rights; and also nutrition. Through sessions at girls’ clubs, the knowledge spreads, and women and girls will be empowered to make responsible decisions regarding their sexuality, reproduction, health and nutrition.
Education
Linking schools
Schools in Bristol are linked with schools in Beira and have benefited from teacher exchanges. Children from both cities are encouraged to understand the lives of each other through projects supported by the BLB and volunteer placements.
Learning disabilities
The Brandon Trust and Accrideme have provided facilities and support for people with learning disabilities in Beira. This provided advice and ongoing support to people with a learning disability and their families and carers.
Placements
Students and teachers have been to Beira to work with ADEL and AJOMAC in addition to their teaching workload.
Health
HIV/AIDS
BLB has highlighted some of the statistics and issues on exhibition panels for use in schools, libraries and community centres as well as at events across the city. BLB has supported work with AIDS orphans with literacy, basic English, basket making and machine sewing, to provide income generation skills.
Mobility
Motivation supported by a small local Bristol charity, the Maureen Oswin Trust, sent technicians from Beira to train in Tanzania for wheelchair construction and maintenance. Following the training, technicians have been offered employment by Social Services in Beira.
Covid 19
BLB have provided sewing machines and materials for Amai Mussanhane to make facemasks. These were then distributed by ADEL with packs of soap to disadvantaged families in Beira.
Community and Civil Society
Women & Girls
BLB have maintained partnerships with three women's groups in Beira: Amai Mussanhani, AMPDC and ADS. Over the years, BLB have asked them to provide project proposals and these have been progressed by BLB and ACSTA using their own funds; or through applications to independent family trusts in the UK.
Civic Exchanges
Council employees from Bristol have offered capacity building workshops in Beira, and some functionaries have visited Bristol to observe the working environment Over the years, several of Beira’s mayors have visited Bristol. Mayor Daviz Simango attended the 2018 Annual Summit of the Global Parliament of Mayors in Bristol, and received the Benjamin Barber Global Cities Award
Young People
Youth group AJOMAC have been trained on a bottle-cutting project, enabling them to recycle glass bottles into crafts to fund their activities.
Climate Change and Energy
Climate change
ADEL (supported by BLB) ran a series of environmental workshops, planting sessions and clean-ups, with young people and community based organisations, to contribute to citizenship training.
Forestry
Youth group AJOMAC (supported by BLB and ADEL) and a local entrepreneur in Beira developed a forestry project and tree nursery in Beira. This created a sustainable source of wood and provided work and other resources for local people.
Energy
BLB and ADEL have been advising a local start-up who, with UWE, were developing a container-based toilet block to convert human waste into cooking fuel and soil conditioner, for use off-grid in densely populated, low-income areas in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Beira.
Culture and Sport
Ballet Studio
The previously well-used Ballet Studio was flooded out during the cyclone in 2019, and has not re-opened to the public. The rehabilitation project was initiated by Red Cross volunteer, Nancy Kordouli, who feels that cultural needs are neglected during humanitarian crises, to the detriment of the well-being of local communities. The renovation of the Ballet Studio will provide a safe space for events, classes and training in music and dance.
Musicians & Storytellers
A Mozambican storyteller, has been regular visitor to Bristol, working with schools, choirs and other groups telling stories and teaching songs.
Football Coaching
Coaching for Hope and other agencies ran a football project, training local coaches, youth workers and teachers in HIV/AIDS prevention.