Donar – Select “[25A4HS] Provide Dignified Housing for Families in Mozambique”

Sometimes people point and gasp while others just stare. Like any mother, it breaks Cristina’s heart to see her baby girl treated this way.

Hostem was born with macrocephaly. Her head is much larger and heavier than other children of the same age. Cristina often struggles to carry Hostem because she must cautiously hold the little girl’s head to protect her delicate neck. The condition worsened because Cristina could not afford medical treatment that would have improved life for her baby.

The house where Cristina lives is not much of a home like yours or mine. Its mud brick walls are collapsing, the rusty tin roof leaks, and the dirt floor is impossible to keep clean. Snakes and disease-carrying insects are also a constant danger.

Cristina lives in a small farming village deep in the mountains of Mozambique. There are no doctors and no medical clinics or places to go in an emergency. Her biggest worry is making sure her constant attention to Hostem does not affect her three other youngsters. Cristina is doing the best she can for each of her children.

With your help, our Franciscan missionary friars have built Cristina a real home with solid walls and a permanent floor for about $3,500 and a few days’ work! She does not mind that it does not have indoor plumbing. Cristina and her children sleep much better without having to worry about snakes and bugs that carry deadly disease.

Mozambique is one of the poorest places on earth! Practically every mudbrick house there is so dilapidated that I fear for the safety of the people. Recent storms and cyclones are literally washing away their homes. It only grows worse.

You may recall me telling you about Cristina and her baby girl, Hostem. Your past support made it possible for us to give her a wheelchair, so she no longer struggles to carry her little girl. This has also freed Cristina to be able to work small jobs and earn enough to buy food for her family. It is a start!

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Fr. Jorge Bender, OFM visits with Cristina and her youngest child, Hostem, who was born with a physical disability called macrocephaly.

Missionary friars help local villagers make home repairs.

Under the leadership of Father Jorge Bender, OFM, the Friars Minor in Jécua serve 74 villages spread over a rural area of about 46 square miles in Manica Province, west central Mozambique.

The friars’ goal is to build 100 homes, and with your help, our Franciscan friars were able to construct 40 new homes in Cristina’s village of Jécua last year. They want to build another 30 this year.

When Cristina’s home was blessed, she cried so much. All she could do was smile as tears of joy rolled down across her face. I think even Brother Jorge teared up a little!

Do you get that same wonderful feeling, knowing you helped someone who truly deserves it?

I believe that is why you continue supporting our Franciscan missionaries. You know the blessings you share lift up the poorest of God’s children. Every dollar you donate is truly making a difference in the lives of people.

I knew you would appreciate hearing how you have made life better for Cristina and her family. But as I said, we are just getting started!

Donar – Select “[25A4HS] Provide Dignified Housing for Families in Mozambique”

Fr. Jorge has a goal of building 30 additional houses in the village where Cristina lives. These are very simple shelters with no plumbing or glass windows. Small openings in the walls let fresh air in but are small and high enough that snakes or other wild animals cannot get in.

Mosquito netting keeps the bugs out. The most important thing about these new houses is that they are solid brick with concrete floors. That certainly makes it easier for Cristina to care for her little girl thanks to the new wheelchair you also helped provide.

There are other villagers who desperately need a safe, sturdy place to live.

Our Franciscan friars can build a new home for about $3,500, but more importantly, these houses are not just given away. Villagers must also help build them, whether it is hauling materials, passing bricks, or just cleaning up.

Only the poorest villagers will qualify for one of these new houses. During pastoral visits by one of our friars, we identify families in extreme need. Sometimes the families include elderly or disabled members. Other families are headed by widowed mothers with several children.

One last requirement is that the entire village must show up for a special house warming when we bless the new home. It is all done in Christ’s name, made possible by your compassion and generosity!

I do hope you share my enthusiasm and excitement at being able to do something so incredible for the poorest of God’s children. I assure you; Cristina thinks of loyal donors like you each and every day!

Please share a gift to help Fr. Jorge and our Franciscan missionary friars build 30 additional homes for the poor in Mozambique.

Our Holy Father has asked that we “journey together in hope” during this Jubilee Year. Mozambique is about as far from the United States as one can get! For poor villagers like Cristina and her children, the hope you give them is the most incredible gift you could ever share.

Thank you for coming along on this journey of hope together with us!

Con un corazón muy agradecido,

Hermano Andrew Brophy, OFM

Director ejecutivo